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Documents released by the federal government show that the notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein was in correspondence from 2015 to 2017 with a Portlander: Dr. Paul Conti, a nationally prominent psychiatrist and consultant with a private practice in Southwest Portland.
The documents suggest the two men had at least some familiarity. Toward the beginning of a 2015 email exchange, for example, Conti thanks Epstein for his hospitality—“I found the time spent with you to be enjoyable and fascinating,” Conti writes—and over several subsequent emails, the two discuss whether Conti might treat a female friend of Epstein’s.
Emails reviewed by WW from the U.S. Department of Justice’s trove of Epstein files, give no indication Conti did anything beyond socializing with Epstein and taking sizable payments from Epstein to provide psychiatric help to a woman.
Still, the emails establish Conti among a growing list of prominent figures with links to the notorious sexual predator.
Epstein—the subject of endless conspiracy theories given the depravity of his crimes and the startling abundance of his connections to the rich and famous—was convicted in 2008 of soliciting a minor for prostitution, and was eventually arrested in 2019 on charges of sex trafficking numerous minors. Officials determined he died by suicide in a New York jail soon after.
WW phone calls and a message to Conti’s Portland based practice, Pacific Premier Group, received no response Tuesday afternoon, nor did a message sent through Conti’s personal website. Many of Conti’s emails to Epstein in the Justice Department include Pacific Premier Group in the signature, listing a Portland address on Southwest Main Street.
Conti, a graduate of the Stanford University School of Medicine, served from 2021 to 2023 on the board of Portland addiction treatment center Fora Health, tax documents show. He also has sway in more rarefied circles. Conti’s website lists rave reviews from Kim Kardashian and Tommy Hilfiger for his book, Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic. In 2023, Conti joined the popular Stanford health guru Dr. Andrew Huberman for a four-part podcast series on mental health. A YouTube version of one episode received 14 million views.
According to the documents released by the federal government, one of Conti’s email exchanges with Epstein began in 2015 with another famous medical figure and a Stanford Medical School classmate: the influencer Dr. Peter Attia. Attia has faced his own wave of scrutiny in recent days over lewd emails he exchanged with Epstein, for which he has said he is ashamed.
In the Oct. 8, 2015 email, however, Attia was simply facilitating a connection: “Paul, Jeffrey has a friend he’d like you to possibly help with,” Attia wrote, according to the DOJ documents.
Timestamps indicate Conti wrote back a few hours later: “Thank you Peter for facilitating the re-connection! Jeffrey, I found the time spent with you to be enjoyable and fascinating, and I appreciate your hospitality. I welcome helping your friend if I can. Would you like to set something up through assistants, or let me know a few days/times that would work for you?”
Epstein responds with an email that is heavily-redacted, offering details about the woman. Epstein’s email contains several grammatical errors, which WW has left unchanged:
“i gave her your emaill her name is [redacted], a tiny woman. weighs [redacted] pounds is taking 30 mg cymbalta , has trouble getting motivated , suffers anxiety, and is not doing well. thanks bill me of course”
Conti responds that he indeed received an email from the woman and would get in touch with her to set up an appointment when he is in New York.
“I appreciate your trust,” Conti writes Epstein, “and will take the best care of her that I can.”
Several days later, Oct. 20, 2015, Epstein receives an email. “Just saw Paul Conti, he was amazing! Spoke to me for 2.5 hours and wouldn’t charge me. Thank you Jeffrey.” The email ends with a heart emoji.
Conti also sends an Epstein an Oct. 20 email. He tells Epstein he saw the woman the previous night and, though she was in great distress, he was impressed by her resourcefulness and intelligence and believes he can help her—that she is capable of improving her mental health—and he sketches out a treatment plan ahead.
At this point, Conti says he wants to check in regarding the payment arrangement. “I certainly would like to work with her, but I think its just a reasonable courtesy for me to ensure that I am not planning something before we have discussed if you are comfortable paying for it!” Conti writes. “My rates are pretty simple -- $1,500 for 90 minutes during intake, and $800 per hour thereafter. Please let me know what you think. And, as its no surprise that you are a fascinating guy to talk to, if you are interested in meeting again under whatever circumstances you might prefer, please let me know!”
Epstein responds in a one word email the next day: “speak?”
Conti responds, “Definitely -- should we set a time? I can talk any time after 6:30 this evening, or we can figure out something tomorrow if you have availability.”
Epstein responds, “give me a number for 630?”
Meanwhile, the Justice Department documents indicate Epstein forwarded some of his emails with Conti to the woman Conti was treating.
“Thank you my dear Jeffrey,” the woman wrote to Epstein on Oct. 23, 2015. “I met with him this morning and I must say that I never imagined speaking to someone could calm me like it does.” The woman discusses the meds Conti gave her, how she found him smart and empathetic, how he helped her see things in a different light.
“My concern,” she added in her email to Epstein, “is the cost and that I feel uncomfortable putting this on you. Two things I can do is speak to aetna( my school medical aid) and ask my mother if she would be able to assist in some way.” In a later email to Epstein, the woman again repeats that she is trying to get some of the cost covered by her school insurance.
Epstein responded: “i dont care find out if school will pay and no matter waht i will pay the difference or all.”
Meanwhile Conti and Epstein maintained their correspondence about the woman’s treatment. Conti thanks Epstein for his confidence. “I absolutely believe that I know how to both understand and help her, and will do my best,” Conti writes.
Conti invites Epstein to call or email any time, and in later emails, he sends an invoice and recounts his subsequent psychiatry sessions with the woman.
Conti and Epstein would exchange further notes in 2016, and 2017, according to the DOJ records.
“Checking in” was the subject of an October 2016 email Conti sent to Epstein. “I hope that you are well,” Conti writes. “I’m not sure if you remember me.” He reminds Epstein that “I’m the psychiatrist who visited you about this time last year with Peter Attia.”
Conti references his work with the woman, and says he believes he has been helpful to her.
“She is such a lovely person, and it is a pleasure to work with her,” he writes.” I don’t want to bug you, and am just checking in with you, in case you have anyone else you might want me to work with. I am also doing business consulting around executive assessment, hiring decisions, problem solving, and performance optimization—probably not something you need, but I figure it can’t hurt to let you know!”
