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Bard College’s president, Leon Botstein, told his staff at a meeting this week that there was no way he could have known that Jeffrey Epstein – who was a convicted sex offender during their interactions over the years – was actually “reprehensible” and predicted he would soon be cleared of any hint of impropriety about their relationship, according to sources who witnessed the remarks.

The liberal arts college’s board of trustees hired in February the white-shoe law firm WilmerHale to independently investigate communications between Epstein and Botstein.

Botstein has served as president of Bard, which is in New York state, for more than 50 years. He has said he cultivated a relationship with Epstein as a way to raise money for the school. While questions about Botstein’s relationship with Epstein have been swirling for years, the controversy reached a fever pitch earlier this year after the release of millions of “Epstein files” by the US Department of Justice, which revealed that the two regularly corresponded. Botstein has denied the two were friends, despite years of correspondence and in-person meetings, including a 2012 trip by Botstein to Epstein’s island.

In his comments to staff, sources told the Guardian, Botstein suggested words to the effect of “we live in an oligarchy” and that therefore people “cannot be expected to investigate or know the moral character of the people who can afford to donate money”.

Epstein was already a convicted criminal by the time Botstein first met him in 2011. Epstein had pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Staff members who were at the meeting and spoke to the Guardian anonymously out of fear of retaliation said the gathering on Wednesday – which was attended by more than 100 people but not intended for tenured professors or senior administrators – was announced rather hastily, giving staff members about 48 hours’ notice. During the meeting, sources said, Botstein assured the room that the internal review by WilmerHale would be concluded soon and establish that he had not been friends with Epstein.

There is, however, one indication that Botstein did see Epstein as a friend – and was aware of media reports of allegations that dogged Epstein. On 4 January 2015, an email sent by “President”, whose email address is redacted, and is signed “Leon”, the sender expressed condolences that Epstein was the subject of a “resurgence of tabloid publicity” and offered to help. “True friendship, in my view, is among the most honorable and rare of virtues. And I value our friendship, so if there is any way I can be of help, let me know,” the email’s sender wrote.

A Botstein spokesperson has previously said Botstein lacked “detailed context” when he sent the January 2015 email, which he described as a “courtesy note”, according to report in the Times Union.

A spokesperson for WilmerHale said in a statement to the Guardian: “Our review is ongoing.”

Botstein did not personally respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Bard said in a statement that Bard relies on donations from wealthy individuals and obviously regrets accepting the donations from Epstein, which is why an independent law firm has been brought in to review communications “so that we can understand the facts and improve our vetting procedures”.

According to the board’s statement in February, WilmerHale was retained to review the “full scope” of communications between Epstein and Botstein, Epstein’s interactions with Bard, financial contributions connected to Epstein, and other related matters.

When previously asked about the trip to Epstein’s island, a Botstein spokesperson told a reporter at WAMC, the radio outlet: “President Botstein came down with a severe flu on the trip, kept to himself after dinner, and isolated himself in a resort-style bungalow overnight.”

That account has been challenged in an earlier Guardian report by an Epstein victim who was also on the island at that time and said she had no recollection of Botstein being isolated.

A student-led group called Take Back Bard, which is seeking Botstein’s resignation, posted on Instagram a copy of one Epstein email this week that has been a source of intense speculation on campus, although it cannot definitively be linked to the college president.

On 15 May 2014, Epstein appears to have forwarded to himself an email sent to him by an individual whose email address is redacted, but is named only as “President”. In it, “President” writes: Is [redacted] for me, or are you keeping her for yourself. I need some help. I am only available on sat. I will be all the help I can to her but you need to help me.”

The Guardian could not determine the meaning of the apparent exchange. Botstein has not been accused of sexual impropriety in connection to his relationship with Epstein. Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a former Russian model and Epstein victim who worked as a “staffer” for Epstein and said she witnessed interactions between Botstein and Epstein, said the Bard College president treated her with “respect”.

In some email exchanges between Botstein and Epstein that are contained in the justice department files, Botstein signs off as “Leon”. The email from 15 May 2014 contains no such signature. Some emails that appear to be from Botstein – which the college has not disputed – appear in Epstein’s inbox to be from “President”.

A spokesperson for Bard College told the Guardian that the 15 May 2014 message “has absolutely nothing to do with Bard College or President Botstein”.

“First of all, Epstein is in touch with tons of presidents, [Botstein] is not the only named president in email exchanges. All the other emails we have not pushed back on that are from President Botstein but this is definitely not his,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson declined to provide an explanation of why the college was certain the exchange was not from Botstein or what steps it had taken to make that determination.

David Wade, who has been described in media reports as a spokesperson for Botstein, said in an email to the Guardian that he knew Bard had already communicated to the Guardian that “they know” the 15 May 2014 email “is not from President Botstein”.

The emails released by the justice department show that Epstein had an exchange with Botstein shortly before the 15 May 2014 email. On 14 May 2014, Botstein, who is identified as “President” in the email, and includes his unredacted Bard email address, asks Epstein: “When and where should I call? Look forward also to seeing you.” The email is a response to a 13 May 2014 email in which Epstein asks Botstein: “are you around?”

Then, two days after the 15 May 2014 exchange – on 17 May 2014 – Epstein tells a woman “leon wants you to sing the same ella song as you sent, but this time only your natural voice”. The person responds in the affirmative, to which Epstein responds: “miss you , every hole”.

A few weeks later, on 6 June 2014, Epstein asked Botstein for orchestra tickets in Warsaw for the parents of an individual whose name is redacted. Botstein responds “Yes of course: done LB”.

Partly unredacted versions of the emails, which were erroneously published by the justice department and seen by the Guardian – then later republished in redacted form – show that the 15 May and 6 June emails both refer by name to the same woman. The 17 May email between Epstein and that woman does not explicitly include her name, but includes a signature in that woman’s native language. The Guardian is choosing not to name the woman, and was not able to reach her for comment.

One Bard student who spoke to the Guardian on the condition of anonymity, because they were afraid of retribution, said: “For sure people want proof either way, like that [the 15 May 2014 email] is for sure not him or for sure is him.”

The Guardian approached the justice department earlier this week about whether it would issue an unredacted version of the 15 May 2014 email, because Epstein file redactions are generally only meant to protect the privacy of Epstein’s victims. In response to the request, an official pointed out that personal email addresses are “personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act”, suggesting this was the reason the identifying email information had been redacted. The justice department official did not respond to follow-up questions.

Multiple members of staff who spoke to the Guardian after the Wednesday meeting said they were angered by Botstein’s remarks at the meeting.

“The whole thing was a performance of his power and our powerlessness,” said one person.

People who heard the remarks said Botstein, who will be 80 this year, did acknowledge he would be retiring, but did not offer a timeline of when he would be stepping down. He also said that he would continue to teach once he relinquishes the role of president and would continue to lead the orchestra, and that he planned to continue to reside at Bard.