Navy Secretary John Phelan has been identified in documents as a passenger on a flight aboard the private plane of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The flight took place on March 3, 2006, traveling from London to New York City. This revelation has raised questions about Phelan’s associations given Epstein’s notorious background.
Phelan was reportedly invited to the flight by Jimmy Cayne, the former CEO of Bear Stearns. A close friend of Phelan confirmed to CNN that the Navy Secretary was unaware he would be flying on Epstein’s aircraft until they arrived at the plane. According to this friend, Phelan had no further interactions with Epstein following this flight and was not aware of any illegal activities associated with Epstein at that time.
The flight manifest, which is part of a larger release of documents by the House Oversight Committee, lists Phelan alongside 12 other passengers. Among them is Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent who was implicated in sexual assault charges and was found dead in his jail cell in 2022. His name appears to be misspelled on the manifest as “Jean Luke Brunnel.” Notably, six of the passenger names have been redacted.
Phelan’s connection to Epstein comes to light as the Department of Justice recently released approximately 3.5 million documents related to Epstein’s case, further scrutinizing the network of individuals associated with him. The circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019, which was ruled a suicide, continue to amplify public interest in his past connections.
Phelan, who founded Rugger Management LLC, a private investment firm based in Palm Beach, Florida, was appointed as Navy Secretary by Donald Trump on November 26, 2024. He officially took office four months later. His significant financial contributions to Trump’s second reelection campaign have also been documented by various news outlets.
As public scrutiny continues to build around influential figures linked to Epstein, Phelan’s office has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this flight and its implications. The ongoing investigations into Epstein’s network may shed more light on the connections between powerful individuals and the late financier.
