New emails released by the Department of Justice reveal that the University of Arizona misled the public about a $50,000 donation it received from Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein’s donation to the University of Arizona Foundation was first identified in 2019 by a reporter who reviewed tax returns filed by Gratitude America, Ltd., a Virgin Islands-based nonprofit tied to the disgraced financier. UA told the Arizona Republic at the time that it was “a one-time anonymous gift” and that “the university was unaware of his involvement.”
However, emails obtained by FOIAzona reveal that the university coordinated the donation directly with Epstein, publicly recognized him, offered to book him a hotel, and even redirected the donation to assist him with a tax deduction.
Epstein’s $50,000 Donation
In March 2017, UA professor Stuart Hameroff (using his arizona.edu email address) messaged Epstein about an upcoming program being put on by the university’s Center for Consciousness Studies, of which he was the director. Epstein, who had an existing relationship with Hameroff, pledged “at least 50k, before knowing any[t]hing” and asked for more information about the program’s budget and lineup.
Hameroff thanked Epstein for the pledge, “cop[ied] [his] assistant Abi Behar-Montefiore” (now the center’s assistant director at UA), and asked how Epstein would like “to be recognized.”
In an email to Epstein’s accountant (Richard Kahn), Behar Montefiore requested that the donation “go straight to one of our larger conference vendors,” but Kahn responded that it would need to be sent to a 501(c)(3) organization “for deductibility” reasons. Behar Montefiore suggested the University of Arizona Foundation.
Epstein and his team cut the $50,000 check five days later as directed by UA. The university received it in a large FedEx envelope with the sender clearly marked as “Jeffrey E. Epstein.”
Later that month, Behar Montefiore shared with Kahn that the center was promoting Epstein’s nonprofit as a “sponsor” of the conference on banners and program ads. Those are still available on UA’s website as of 2026.
As the conference approached, Epstein confirmed that he would be attending and Hameroff offered that “we” could “reserve a room at the Hyatt for you.”
Epstein declined UA’s offer for a hotel, saying that his team had already “taken care of everything.”
He forwarded the email chain to Masha Drokova, the star of the 2012 documentary “Putin’s Kiss” who was working as the financier’s publicist at the time. Drokova said that the conference “[l]ooks interesting” and asked whether it was worth her going, too. Epstein responded no.
A Years-Long Relationship (2015-2018)
Other emails obtained by FOIAzona reveal that the University of Arizona’s relationship with Epstein was not limited to that $50,000 donation. In reality, it dated back to at least 2015.
In April of that year, Epstein asked Brad Wechsler, the head of Apollo Global Management CEO Leon Black’s family office, whether “the [U]niversity of [A]rizona letter [went] out.” Wechsler responded that he had brought it over but that it hadn’t returned to his office, so he was going to “send another copy over today.”
The context of the letter either was kept offline or has not yet been produced in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act that authorized their release.
In October 2016, Epstein’s executive assistant Lesley Groff emailed Stuart Hameroff (the UA professor/director) to “confirm Jeffrey has an apartment Stuart may stay in Thurs. Oct. 27th – Mon. Oct. 31st.” This is a reference to his well-known property on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. That first night, the professor was scheduled to “meet with Jeffrey … around 8pm” at the financier’s home.
Hameroff responded: “That is very kind of Jeffrey and you. I’ll be with my partner Betsy Higbee, and we will go directly to the apartment, freshen up and then to Jeffrey’s place by 8 pm (we land at Newark around 5 pm).”
The UA professor followed up the next day, thanking Epstein for “a great evening, dinner and use of the apartment.” He wrote: “We appreciate you staying up late with an early flight. We were tired too, but it was a memorable night.”
In February 2017, Abi Behar Montefiore (the UA center’s assistant director) wrote to Deepak Chopra: “Your abstract is in – thank you.” Chopra forwarded the message to Epstein: “Thanks to you!”
The remainder of the duo’s conversation is scattered and fairly bizarre, with Epstein inquiring about where Chopra was at the moment and Chopra asking: “Why are all the Russian diplomats dying?” The financier responded: “[Y]es that was the man your met at my house.” It’s unclear whether the two were referencing the university’s abstract or accidentally were talking around each other.
In February 2018, Hameroff notified Epstein that UA’s Science of Consciousness conference was “coming around again” at “a fabulous resort (maybe even by your standards)” in Tucson and that it “could use your generous help again please. Pretty please.” It’s unknown whether the donation came through.
In December 2018, according to a presentation that Deutsche Bank compiled for the U.S. Attorney’s Office about “Epstein employees/affiliates,” the financier’s attorney wired $269,159 to Noam Chomsky through his firm (Darren K. Indyke PLLC). The presentation describes Chomsky as “a … part-time professor at the University of Arizona” and notes that “[t]he wire details don’t identify the purpose of the wire.”
You can see one of FOIAzona’s other investigations into the university here.
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