Washington — President Trump on Friday requested the Justice Division and FBI to research convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement with distinguished Democrats, together with former President Invoice Clinton, and main monetary establishments.
In a submit on Reality Social, Mr. Trump accused Democrats of specializing in what he calls the “Epstein hoax” to deflect blame for the federal government shutdown, which ended Wednesday and was the longest in U.S. historical past.
“I shall be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Division of Justice, along with our nice patriots on the FBI, to research Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Invoice Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and plenty of different folks and establishments, to find out what was happening with them, and him,” the president wrote. “That is one other Russia, Russia, Russia Rip-off, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats. Data present that these males, and plenty of others, spent massive parts of their life with Epstein, and on his ‘Island.’ Keep tuned!!!”
Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi quickly stated she had requested Jay Clayton, the U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of New York, to guide the investigation. Clayton’s workplace covers issues from Manhattan and the Bronx, in addition to the counties north of New York Metropolis.
“As with all issues, the Division will pursue this with urgency and integrity to ship solutions to the American folks,” she wrote on X.
The announcement comes 4 months after the Justice Division and FBI stated in a July memo that they’d carried out an “exhaustive evaluate” of fabric associated to Epstein and “didn’t uncover proof that would predicate an investigation in opposition to uncharged third events.” In addition they stated there was no “consumer listing” or “credible proof” that Epstein blackmailed distinguished figures.
Mr. Trump’s announcement comes because the Home is anticipated to vote subsequent week on a invoice that might power the Justice Division to launch recordsdata from its investigation into Epstein. The president opposes the discharge of that materials and has accused Republicans who backed the trouble to power a vote on the proposal of being “mushy and silly.” GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia informed “CBS Mornings” on Friday that she believes the president’s stance on the Epstein recordsdata is a “large miscalculation.”
The Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee, which is conducting its personal investigation into the federal authorities’s dealing with of its probe into Epstein, launched earlier this week greater than 20,000 pages of material it obtained from Epstein’s property.
Among the many data are emails and messages exchanged with Epstein that point out Mr. Trump. In a single e mail from Epstein to writer Michael Wolff in January 2019, Epstein wrote, “In fact he knew in regards to the women as he requested ghislaine to cease,” referencing Mr. Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime affiliate of Epstein’s. It is unclear what Epstein was referring to.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year jail sentence for her position in serving to Epstein recruit, groom and abuse underage women.
In one other e mail from Epstein to Maxwell in April 2011, he wrote, “I would like you to appreciate that that canine that hasn’t barked is trump.. virginia spent hours at my home with him ,, he has by no means as soon as been talked about.”
The president has not been accused of wrongdoing. Whereas he and Epstein ran in the identical social circles in New York and Palm Seaside, Florida, from the late Nineteen Eighties to early 2000s, Mr. Trump has stated the 2 had a falling out round 2004 and had not spoken within the years main as much as Epstein’s 2019 loss of life.
He died by suicide at a Manhattan correctional facility after he was indicted on federal sex-trafficking fees.
The newest launch from the Oversight Committee additionally reveals that Epstein corresponded recurrently with Summers, who was treasury secretary throughout Clinton’s presidency and led the Nationwide Financial Council beneath former President Barack Obama.
The Wall Road Journal reported in 2023 on Epstein’s contacts with Summers. A spokesperson for Summers stated on the time that he “deeply regrets being in touch with Epstein after his conviction.” Epstein was investigated with federal and state officers between 2005 and 2006. Below a deal reached with federal prosecutors in 2007, Epstein agreed to plead responsible to 2 state prostitution fees and serve an 18-month sentence to keep away from federal fees. He served lower than 13 months and was launched in 2009.
As a part of its evaluate, the Home Oversight panel issued a subpoena to Clinton in August for testimony due to his previous ties to Epstein and Maxwell within the early 2000s.
A spokesperson for Clinton stated in 2019 after Epstein was indicted that the previous president took 4 journeys on Epstein’s airplane in 2002 and 2003, touring to Europe, Asia and Africa. Angel Ureña, the spokesperson, stated the journeys included stops in reference to the Clinton Basis, and workers, basis supporters and Clinton’s Secret Service element have been on each leg of each journey. Clinton additionally had a gathering with Epstein in 2002 and made “one transient go to” to Epstein’s residence with a workers member and his safety element, Ureña stated.
In a submit on X late Friday, Ureña wrote: “These emails show Invoice Clinton did nothing and knew nothing.”
Trish Wexler, a spokesperson for JPMorganChase, stated Friday that the federal authorities “had damaging info” about Epstein’s crimes and did not share it with JPMorganChase or different monetary establishments.
“We remorse any affiliation we had with the person, however didn’t assist him commit his heinous acts,” she stated. “We ended our relationship with him years earlier than his arrest on intercourse trafficking fees.”
In 2023, JPMorgan agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by an unnamed sufferer of Epstein’s on behalf of herself and others that alleged the financial institution neglected his intercourse trafficking and abuse with a purpose to revenue from its monetary relationship with him. JPMorgan agreed to pay $290 million to the victims as a part of the settlement.
Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn and a serious Democratic donor, stated in 2019 after Epstein’s arrest that he had some interactions with Epstein and regretted taking part in fundraising exercise with him, based on Axios. Hoffman stated in an e mail to the information outlet that his final interplay with Epstein had been in 2015.
Nonetheless, throughout testimony earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee in October, Bondi attacked Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat, for accepting political contributions from Hoffman, who she claimed was “one in all Epstein’s closest confidants.”
Within the Justice Division and FBI’s July memo on their evaluate of the Epstein case, they stated that whereas they labored to offer the general public with “most info” about Epstein, they decided “no additional disclosure could be acceptable or warranted.”
The conclusions from the Trump administration sparked immense backlash in opposition to Mr. Trump and Bondi from a few of the president’s supporters, lots of whom have been skeptical of the Justice Division’s declare that there was nothing additional to be launched.
In the meantime, the Oversight Committee has continued to launch data as a part of its investigation, together with court docket filings, flight data, movies and messages. In September, the panel made public pages from a ebook compiled by Maxwell for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday in 2003, which features a letter allegedly signed by Mr. Trump and a drawing that seems to be the define of a girl’s physique. The president has denied penning the message.
Paperwork launched by the committee present Mr. Trump and Clinton’s names are listed beneath the “pals” subheading within the ebook’s desk of contents. Clinton seems to have written a handwritten notice that reads, partially, “It is reassuring is not it, to have lasted as lengthy, throughout all of the years of studying and figuring out … and in addition to have your childlike curiosity, the drive to make a distinction and the solace of pals.”
