There seems to be some handwringing around the news that Noam Chomsky associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Some have condemned it, while others have rationalized that there is no evidence Chomsky did anything inappropriate. But there is a way to understand this that helps to separate a person and their choices from their work in furthering critical thought and informed dissent.

Chomsky was photographed on the dead sexual predator’s plane and attended dinner parties at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse. Powerful men were at these dinners. Prince Andrew being one. At least one of those was with Israel’s former prime minister, Ehud Barak.

In fact, Epstein apparently arranged several meetings with Chomsky and Barak. It is worth noting that Barak is named by one of his victims, the late Virginia Guiffre, who said the prime minister raped, choked and beat her. She went into far more graphic and horrific detail that I will not get into here.

To be sure, our society has a tendency to jump to snap judgments. Guilt is ascribed to anyone who may appear in a photograph or video without context or a nuanced understanding of the complexity of human interactions and motivations.

Salacious gossip all too often replaces critical thinking, the latter viewed with contempt by many in the media. Merely talking to the “wrong person” will get you pilloried in some camps. And Chomsky spoke with a lot of shady and loathsome figures, from Steve Bannon to Alan Dershowitz to the aforementioned Ehud Barak.

There is also a poor understanding of how age and health comes into all this. After all, Chomsky is very old. And he did suffer a debilitating stroke during these years.

But this is not some random association. It is about directly benefitting from the very power you claim to oppose. Epstein reportedly assisted Chomsky with some financial matters regarding his late wife’s estate.

Many academics and scholars fall into this trap because, like it or not, we live in capitalism. Dealing with its adherents and institutions is inevitable. And such dealings are often the Faustian bargain most make to secure the needed funding for their research and work.

Chomsky reportedly knew about some of Epstein’s crimes, but said he had a “clean slate” after serving some time for an offense. No one can say if he knew more than what was reported at the time. Anything else is speculation. And as someone who believes in restorative justice, I can relate to this.

But this isn’t about that. Epstein wasn’t just some ordinary person. His crimes were far greater than any “justice” he may have received at the time. Epstein procured girls and women for wealthy and powerful men to abuse and exploit. He was unrepentant about all of it. And Chomsky didn’t show any care or concern for his victims.

Chomsky has been put up on a pedestal by many on the left. And I confess that I have had a great respect for the man throughout my life. I met him once at a lecture many years ago and I read his books cover to cover. They changed my worldview regarding capitalism, propaganda, and the machinations of American empire. And I am grateful for that education.

The importance of his work and how it can be used to understand and confront imperialism shouldn’t be jettisoned. Only a fool would do that. But he also had a troubled relationship to power. The tragedy is that his connections to power may betray the informed analysis and dissent he is credited for to many people seeking direction in this dark world we live in.

So, how should we proceed if we care about the very subjects Chomsky is famous for?

While we can and should still learn from the many things Chomsky has done throughout his long life, we should have a greater sense of what it means in real terms. Liberation from oppressive structures, including patriarchal and misogynistic ones, requires solidarity with its victims and survivors. So, I think if there is any solidarity we can assert at this time, it should be unequivocally with the women who suffered, often as children, at the hands of the powerful men he associated with.

Kenn Orfanos, December 2025