FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union launches new website, WhyIsRonBaronInEpsteinFiles.org, with DOJ documents and questions regarding Ron Baron’s presence in the Epstein files
BROLL of leafleting action last week in New York City and a video file of the website are available here
Las Vegas, NV – Today, Culinary Union launched a new website, WhyIsRonBaronInEpsteinFiles.org, raising questions about the presence of Ron Baron in the Epstein files. Baron, who appears by name in emails released by the U.S. Department of Justice, is the founder and CEO of Baron Capital, which is one of the largest investors in the Nevada gaming industry.
“Baron Capital is one of the largest investors in the Nevada gaming industry, which means Ron Baron has a direct stake in the livelihoods of thousands of Station Casinos workers that the Culinary Union represents,” said Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The documents released by the DOJ raise questions about his interactions with Jeffrey Epstein and whether he knew about Epstein’s status as a sex offender. We believe that workers and investors deserve answers.”
On June 30, 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to “state charges of solicitation of prostitution and of solicitation of prostitution with a minor under the age of 18” in Florida.
According to emails released by the DOG and included on the new website with direct links to the original source files, Epstein hosted Baron at a breakfast at his New York City residence on December, 5, 2024, alongside Bill Gates and others. This was more than three years after Epstein was required to register in New York as a level 3 sex offender, the highest risk classification, reserved for those who pose a "high risk of repeat offense and a threat to public safety."
On their face, the emails, spanning November 22, 2014 through January 13, 2015, document Epstein's assistant coordinating Baron's attendance, indicate that Baron received the breakfast invitation directly, and divulge that days after the breakfast, Epstein directed that a framed photograph from the event be hand-delivered to Baron's assistant at Baron Capital's offices at 767 Fifth Avenue in New York City.
Culinary Union has not independently corroborated the information in the emails and we are unaware that Baron has commented on them. But they raise questions that deserve answers:
*Did Baron actually attend a breakfast with Epstein at Epstein's New York residence on December 5, 2014?
*If so, did Baron know Epstein was a registered sex offender when he agreed to attend the breakfast?
*Did Epstein have a framed photograph delivered to Baron on December 12, 2014? If so, what did the photograph show?
*If Baron was aware that Epstein was a sex offender, how does he explain any dealings he had with him?
Baron Capital funds own approximately 20% of Class A shares of Red Rock Resorts, Inc., the corporate owner of Station Casinos, where the Culinary Union represents workers.
All documents cited on WhyIsRonBaronInEpsteinFiles.org are drawn directly from the DOJ's Epstein files released at justice.gov/epstein.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 120,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latino/a, Black, AAPI, immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latino/a, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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