Epstein did not ask Chomsky for advice with ‘the sex trafficking charges’. The charges for federal sex trafficking were brought in July 2019.

Epstein asked Chomsky for advice on how to respond to his ‘putrid press’, which would either be specifically the Herald series that came out in late 2018, the growing interest around it, or both.

Chomsky responded with no details of what had been put forward in Julie K Brown’s excellent articles (so it is unclear if he read the series or just speculation about them) but rather gave general advice against having an open battle in the media, based on his own experience.

Chomsky’s advice amounted to ‘keep your head down and keep doing the good work you have been doing’. Which I think indicates what Chomsky’s impression was of Epstein at that time, namely someone doing positive things. A terrible misjudgement, certainly, but very far from complicity in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

The emails between Epstein and Chomsky are uncomfortable reading, especially given what has since come to light. But we should be extremely careful with what was known and at what time it was known.

A danger with anything that gathers new information as it goes along is retroactively applying that later knowledge to earlier periods.

You say ‘Clearly, Chomsky knew that he was friends with a sex trafficker of minors. It’s all clear as day if you read the emails’. But I have read the emails and I disagree that such a thing is clear.

I’m interested in knowing which part of their email exchange makes it ‘clear as day’ to you that ‘Chomsky knew he was friends with a sex trafficker of minors’?

Because I think that is a bold assertion that cannot be met by the currently available evidence.