NEW YORK, Nov. 17 -- Newly released emails from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have laid bare the ecosystem of power that protected him, revealing not a shadowy cabal but a system operating in plain sight, where connections and influence insulated him from consequence even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor.

The documents, released this week by the US House of Representatives, show Epstein remained a trusted confidant to a host of powerful figures, ranging from White House alumni to British royalty who sought his advice, bantered with him, and treated him as a member of polite society, providing no social incentive for him to change his ways.

The emails reveal Epstein acting as a political strategist for long-time D...