Newly released federal records indicate Jeffrey Epstein quietly arranged a same-sex marriage in Manhattan in 2013 so his Belarus-born girlfriend, Dr. Karyna Shuliak, could secure a path to permanent U.S. residency. The timing tracks neatly with Shuliak’s visa problems, followed by a green card and, later, naturalization. New York City records show the marriage license was processed at the Manhattan Marriage Bureau in October 2013.
Committee says the union was "illusory"
According to a report from House Oversight Democrats, the 2013 marriage was essentially an "illusory" union, created as a legal vehicle to keep a foreign-born partner in the country rather than as a genuine relationship. The committee based that conclusion on emails, marriage-license records and other documents that surfaced in the Justice Department’s public release of its Epstein files.
Emails and DOJ files spell out the plan
Documents posted by the Department of Justice include 2013 email exchanges in which Epstein suggested that someone "find an American girlfriend" and wrote that "same sex marriage will be the fastest way to green card. by far." Those same Epstein Files Transparency Act disclosures contain scheduling notes and a marriage certificate tied to an October 2013 appointment at the City Clerk’s office.
How the marriage reportedly worked
As reported by Bloomberg Law, Epstein’s camp selected an American woman from his circle to enter the marriage so Shuliak could stabilize her immigration status. Bloomberg’s coverage, relying on public records and contemporaneous reporting, identifies the spouse and outlines how the paperwork led to a green card and, eventually, Shuliak’s naturalization in 2018. Those same filings and reports state that Shuliak and her wife later divorced in 2019.
Shuliak's place in Epstein's network and estate
Shuliak appears throughout the DOJ’s Epstein file production as a close aide who helped oversee Epstein properties and staff, and she was named as a beneficiary in trust language drafted shortly before his death. International reporting and excerpts from trust documents reviewed by news outlets point to plans for sizable distributions to her, while estate administrators maintain that victim claims and other liabilities will determine what, if anything, she ultimately receives. For deeper background on those records and their implications, see Le Monde.
Legal questions remain
Shuliak has not been charged with any crime in connection with Epstein’s trafficking cases, and public records do not show criminal proceedings against her. At the same time, lawmakers and watchdogs are still combing through the files. The House committee has already published findings based on the disclosures, and the DOJ Office of the Inspector General has launched audits of the department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act as additional material is released.
What to watch next: ongoing congressional oversight, continuing audits of the DOJ’s disclosures and any civil litigation over Epstein’s estate could all surface new detail about the 2013 marriage, Shuliak’s role inside Epstein’s operation, and whether the estate’s promised distributions to her survive a mounting wall of claims from victims and creditors.
