In a guest column published Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, the authors claim that I (and other lawyers) "switched sides" from representing victims of sex abuse to representing their abusers. This is categorically untrue. At no time, ever, have I represented or would I ever represent my clients' abusers in any way, shape or form. Indeed, not even the reported source of this claim says that I "switched sides" as implied by the headline and the column.

For many years I have represented victims of sex abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and his cohorts. In the course of doing so, last Fall I pursued a self-described "witness" who said he possessed Epstein videotapes of sexual abuse, including the abuse of some of my clients. Had this claim been true, and had I obtained the tapes, they would have destroyed the specious "he said, she said" defenses of predators; conclusively supported my clients' claims of assault; and given them a measure of long-overdue justice. For that reason, I aggressively, and unapologetically, pursued the tapes for several weeks.

This so-called witness turned out to be a fraud, as we had feared, but at no time did my pursuit of him lead me to "switch sides" or consider doing so. The fraudster wanted to explore this idea as one of several unacceptable conditions for delivering the videotapes, but those conditions were in his imagination, not my plan of action. Never was side-switching in the cards; never was it acted on; never did I make contact with any prospective defendant to explore it; never would I have done so even if the tapes had been delivered.

I would appreciate your correcting the record on this important matter.

Stan Pottinger is a partner at Edwards Pottinger LLC.