The highest political tales of the week : NPR

Lawmakers’ quest to uncover info associated to the investigation of convicted intercourse offender and financier Jefferey Epstein continued this week.

Members of the Trump administration testified earlier than Congress, as did Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. Members of Congress are nonetheless looking for solutions on the Justice Division’s redactions within the recordsdata and the investigation general. In the meantime, the UK continues with its personal reckoning.

The large tranche of paperwork — together with emails, pictures and different paperwork — are supplies collected throughout the Justice Division’s investigation into Epstein and Maxwell. Most of the paperwork embody unverified claims and little if any context. Congress handed a legislation mandating their launch, and lawmakers at the moment are combing by means of them looking for additional accountability for the victims.

Here’s a spherical of up of the highest political information associated to the Epstein recordsdata this week:

Maxwell testimony 

Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20-years in jail for a kid intercourse trafficking scheme with Epstein, appeared by video for a deposition in entrance of the Home Oversight Committee on Monday. Republicans and Democrats sought solutions to a myriad of questions, together with who have been the opposite co-conspirators concerned within the intercourse trafficking ring and which males sexually abused ladies.

However lawmakers weren’t in a position to get a lot of something out of Maxwell. She refused to testify and invoked her Fifth Modification proper to stay silent to keep away from self-incrimination. As an alternative, her lawyer, David Oscar Markus, learn a ready assertion to the committee. Maxwell, he stated, is “ready to talk absolutely and actually” however provided that granted clemency by President Trump.

“Solely she will present a whole account. And a few might not like what they hear, however the fact issues. For instance, each President Trump and President Clinton are harmless of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can clarify why, and the general public is entitled to listen to that rationalization,” Markus stated.

When requested throughout a press briefing on Tuesday if Trump would take into account pardoning Maxwell, press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated it is not one thing she has mentioned with the president just lately as a result of “frankly, it’s not a precedence.”

“Final time we did talk about it, he stated it is not one thing he is contemplating or desirous about,” she instructed reporters.

After the listening to, committee chair James Comer, R-Ky., stated he was upset in Maxwell’s lack of testimony however that the committee’s investigation will proceed.

“I personally do not suppose she must be granted any kind of immunity or clemency,” he stated of Maxwell.

Six names uncovered 

The 2 lawmakers that spearheaded The Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act, the legislation that pressured the general public launch of the paperwork associated to the investigation and demise of Epstein, are nonetheless arguing that the Division of Justice is not abiding by the legislation. Amongst their prime issues is how the DOJ has dealt with redactions within the paperwork, together with redacting names that they are saying ought to have been made public underneath the legislation and in different situations exposing the names of victims.

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., reviewed an unredacted model of the recordsdata on Monday on the Justice Division, which is offered to lawmakers for the primary time. After looking out the recordsdata, Khanna and Massie stated they uncovered the names of six males within the recordsdata that have been wrongly redacted. The lawmakers accused the DOJ of masking up the identities of the lads and scrubbing the recordsdata forward of the discharge.

Khanna stated on the Home flooring that 70% to 80% of the recordsdata are nonetheless redacted and introduced the redacted names. Deputy Legal professional Common Todd Blanche stated on X that the transfer “pressured the unmasking” of individuals “who’ve NOTHING to do with Epstein or Maxwell.” He added that 4 of the six appeared in only one doc.

“The 2 different males — Les Wexner and Sultan bin Sulayem — have been unredacted within the one doc, and are referenced within the recordsdata almost 2 hundred occasions and over 4,700 occasions respectively,” Blanche stated.

On Friday, Dubai Ports World introduced Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem resigned from the corporate efficient instantly.

Throughout a tele-townhall with Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul on Tuesday, Massie stated Wexner, a billionaire businessman, must be pressured to reply questions on his relationship with Epstein.

In January, Home Oversight rating member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., introduced a subpoena for Wexner to testify. Wexner is about to be deposed by lawmakers in Ohio, the place he lives, on Feb. 18. A spokesperson for Wexner instructed NPR member station WOSU that Wexner absolutely cooperated with federal investigators by offering background info on Epstein and was not contacted once more.

Lutnick and Bondi testify and lawmaker surveillance 

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, whose title additionally seems within the recordsdata, answered questions on his relationship with Epstein from members of a Senate committee on Tuesday throughout an unrelated oversight listening to. Lutinck beforehand stated he reduce ties with Epstein earlier than the financier was charged with any intercourse crimes in 2006.

However the newest batch of recordsdata contained an e-mail correspondence between Epstein and Lutnick in 2012, the place Lutnick deliberate a visit to Epstein’s island. Lutnick admitted to the committee that his household visited Epstein whereas on trip.

“We had lunch on the island — that’s true — for an hour, and we left with all of my kids, with my nannies and my spouse all collectively. We have been on household trip,” Lutnick stated. He added, “I do not recall why we did it.”

When Trump was requested by reporters on Thursday about Lutnick’s go to to the island, Trump stated he “wasn’t conscious” of it and that he hasn’t spoken with Lutnick about it.

“I used to be by no means there. Any individual will sometime say that I used to be by no means there,” Trump added.

Regardless of Lutnick’s connection to Epstein, press secretary Karoline Leavitt instructed reporters earlier within the week that Lutnick “stays a vital member of President Trump’s group, and the president absolutely helps the secretary.”

U.S. Legal professional Common Pam Bondi additionally testified earlier than Congress on Wednesday at a heated DOJ oversight listening to, throughout which she repeatedly dodged questions associated to the Epstein recordsdata and insulted lawmakers who questioned her about them.

In a single occasion, Massie pressed Bondi on why some names, together with Wexner’s, have been redacted. Bondi defended the DOJ’s work and retorted that Massie suffered from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and was “a failed politician.”

Lawmakers later accused Bondi of “spying” on their searches of the unredacted paperwork within the DOJ’s safe terminals. After the listening to concluded, a photograph emerged of Bondi holding the search historical past of Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., with whom Bondi additionally verbally sparred.

“Members of Congress ought to be capable of conduct oversight with out the Division of Justice spying on us. It is outrageous and has to cease,” Jayapal stated on X.

U.Ok. fallout

High leaders in the UK are additionally going through backlash because of the Epstein recordsdata.

U.Ok. Prime Minister Keir Starmer confronted calls to resign this week over a relationship his appointed U.S. ambassador, Peter Mandelson, had with Epstein. The most recent batch of recordsdata present Mandelson might have shared delicate U.Ok. authorities info with Epstein.

Mandelson resigned final 12 months after the recordsdata confirmed he remained in touch with Epstein after Epstein pleaded responsible to solicitation of prostitution in Florida, however Starmer faces strain and criticism for appointing Mandelson to start with. Starmer admitted he knew Mandelson had a relationship with Epstein previous to appointing him as U.S. ambassador however stated Mandelson lied to him concerning the extent of their relationship.

Two members of Starmer’s cupboard, chief of employees, Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan, resigned this week as opposition events urged Starmer to step down.

The Epstein recordsdata proceed to rope within the royal household, too. U.Ok. police are wanting into whether or not former Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his title, additionally leaked non-public authorities info to Epstein.