NY Times forced to issue statement after columnist spotted in new Epstein photos

The New York Times issued a statement explaining why one of the newspaper's columnists appeared in several newly released photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate.

The statement on David Brooks came minutes after House Democrats released a new batch of photos obtained from the late sex offender's estate showed the Times columnist at an event.

"As a journalist, David Brooks regularly attends events to speak with noted and important business leaders to inform his columns, which is exactly what happened at this 2011 event," the Times said in a statement to Semafor's Max Tani. "Mr. Brooks had no contact with him before or after this single attendance at a widely-attended dinner."

Brooks published a column last month lamenting the public fixation on the disgraced financier's sex trafficking network but did not disclose that he had interacted with Epstein.

"I know a thing or two about the American elite, ahem, and if you’ve read my work, you may be sick of my assaults on the educated elites for being insular, self-indulgent and smug," Brooks wrote. "But the phrase 'the Epstein class' is inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible. Say what you will about our financial, educational, nonprofit and political elites, but they are not mass rapists."