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School Picture Days Canceled, Investigations Launched After Rumors Link Popular Photo Company To Epstein

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lifetouch-school-photo-company-epstein-rumors_n_698ddd31e4b0d2244f54aa25

Nina Golgowski (12 Feb 2026)

One of the nation's largest school photography companies is facing canceled photo shoots and district-wide investigations amid unsubstantiated online rumors suggesting that children's photos could have been accessed by a person named in the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Several school districts announced this week that they have launched investigations into the popular company Lifetouch due to its former, indirect ownership by billionaire businessman Leon Black, who was an associate and friend of the late child sex offender.

"At this time, no evidence has been presented indicating misconduct involving Lifetouch's operations within our schools or any compromise of student information. Nevertheless, we believe it is appropriate to review the matter carefully and transparently," Clifton Public Schools, one of New Jersey's largest school districts, wrote in a letter to parents on Wednesday.

Lifetouch has denied any wrongdoing.

The rumors narrow in on Black, who until 2021 served as CEO and chairman of Apollo Global Management. The private equity firm owns Lifetouch through its 2019 purchase of the company Shutterfly, which purchased Lifetouch in 2018. The deal to acquire Lifetouch didn't officially close until September 2019, however, which was a month after Epstein's death.

Black resigned as Apollo's CEO after an investigation revealed that he had transferred millions of dollars to Epstein between 2012 and 2017 for what were described as financial services. Black has also faced sexual assault allegations and lawsuits related to Epstein, though he has not been criminally charged and has denied wrongdoing.

Some of this is becoming a witch hunt. Not the CEO himself, but like does anyone think he's sitting down looking at millions of High School or middle school photos, with no idea who any of these kids are going "that one is perfect for the Island. Phoning Jeffery, gettin him the photo in a clandestine way and then putting together some sort of squad to go get the girl?

Quote from: Simplycause on Today at 08:51:47 AMSome of this is becoming a witch hunt. Not the CEO himself, but like does anyone think he's sitting down looking at millions of High School or middle school photos, with no idea who any of these kids are going "that one is perfect for the Island. Phoning Jeffery, gettin him the photo in a clandestine way and then putting together some sort of squad to go get the girl?

This was my thought too!

He may have done business with Epstein, but his connection to the school photo company was mostly peripheral. And it kind of glossed over that he also owned Shutterfly, which had many more photos than Lifetouch.

I think the connection is nebulous and not necessarily criminal (he hasn't been charged with anything). Yet.

I do find it ironic that many of those (probably) at the periphery in both the US and abroad are facing (sometimes) severe consequences, while those (much) closer to the center are either petting puppies or sitting at oval desks.

I get that the witch hunt was originally motivated by a desire to dig up something that could topple President Trump but as Dances With Trees implied, he might be the only person to come out unscathed.  He's probably even using it to get rid of some of his own enemies.

Quote from: MaryT on Today at 04:37:00 PMI get that the witch hunt was originally motivated by a desire to dig up something that could topple President Trump but as Dances With Trees implied, he might be the only person to come out unscathed.  He's probably even using it to get rid of some of his own enemies.

The problem is Trump isn't a witch hunt. They were friends for almost 20 years. Pretty much the "Epstein Files" is a digital accounting of what ever forensic account was done on Epsteins computer, phone etc. Theres probably a decade pre-internet, pre-email, pre-modern cell phone that no one has any idea about. That's likely all the real crime.