United States President Donald Trump has called on the Justice Department to launch a new investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s connections with high-profile Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, as well as financial institutions that provided services to the late financier.
Trump positioned the directive as a measure for transparency, but critics argue it raises questions given renewed scrutiny of his own past association with Epstein.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday that she had assigned Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton to oversee the new inquiry. The move came shortly after Trump urged, via social media, a federal review of Epstein’s communications with Clinton, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and separately, the financial giant JPMorgan.
The announcement followed a tumultuous week in which Congress released extensive batches of Epstein-related documents, including email exchanges revealing interactions with numerous political and business figures. Although these materials did not allege sexual misconduct by the individuals named by Trump, the president insisted the Justice Department investigate them.
Justice Department independence under scrutiny
Legal observers have interpreted the decision to pursue Trump’s request as evidence of the weakening separation between the White House and federal law enforcement. During a press briefing on Air Force One following Bondi’s announcement, Trump stated, “I’m the chief law enforcement officer of the country. I’m allowed to do it.”
Legal experts warn that such intervention could undermine prosecutorial processes. Patrick J Cotter, a former federal prosecutor, told Reuters that Trump’s approach was “outrageously inappropriate” and emphasised, “That’s not how it’s supposed to work.”
Judges in the US are authorised to dismiss cases launched for “vindictive prosecution,” raising additional concern. Previous targets of politically-charged investigations, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, have argued that probes against them were politically motivated, though courts have not ruled on these claims.
Notably, the Justice Department concluded as recently as July that there was no basis to investigate others in connection with Epstein’s crimes. A memo from that period stated investigators found “no evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties” and confirmed there was no incriminating “client list” or credible blackmail evidence involving prominent figures.
Capitol Hill reacts to latest document releases
Bondi’s announcement coincided with heightened activity on Capitol Hill. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three email exchanges mentioning Epstein and referencing Trump. One 2019 message reportedly suggested that Trump “knew about the girls,” which Democrats considered significant amid scrutiny of his prior friendship with Epstein.
US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of selective disclosure intended to “smear Trump.” Republicans responded by releasing nearly 23,000 pages of Epstein correspondence, highlighting messages connected to Clinton, Hoffman, Summers, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and Britain’s ex-Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who previously settled a civil lawsuit with one of Epstein’s victims.
The House is preparing legislation that would compel the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related files. The bill is expected to pass, although Senate approval and presidential signature would be required for it to take effect. When asked whether documents should be made public, Trump said, “I don’t care about it, release or not. If you’re going to do it, then you have to go into Epstein’s friends… This is a Democrat hoax. And a couple, a few Republicans have gone along with it because they’re weak and ineffective.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll from October found only 40% of Republican respondents approved of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files, well below his overall party approval rating.
Responses from those named
The figures highlighted by Trump have strongly denied wrongdoing. Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s aircraft in the early 2000s but has rejected any criminal involvement. His deputy chief of staff, Angel Ureña, tweeted, “These emails prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing. The rest is noise meant to distract from election losses, backfiring shutdowns, and who knows what else.”
Reid Hoffman urged the federal government to release all Epstein-related files, asserting: “The calls for baseless investigations of me are nothing more than political persecution and slander. I was never a client of Epstein’s and never had any engagement with him other than fundraising for MIT.”
Larry Summers described his association with Epstein as a “major error of judgement,” while JPMorgan confirmed it regretted its past relationship with Epstein but insisted the bank “did not help him commit his heinous acts.” The bank has already paid settlements to victims alleging that financial institutions failed to act on warning signs.
None of these individuals or institutions has been accused by victims of participating in sexual misconduct or trafficking.
Trump’s focus shifts away from himself
While spotlighting Democratic figures, the controversy has returned attention to Trump’s own history with Epstein. The two were acquaintances in the 1990s and early 2000s in New York and Florida social circles. Trump has said he severed ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
The congressional release of documents referencing Trump has renewed questions about his knowledge of Epstein’s activities. Critics argue the timing of the Justice Department probe serves as a political diversion.
Jay Clayton, an independent political figure and former SEC Chair, leads the Southern District of New York’s office. Bondi praised him as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country,” adding that the department would proceed “with urgency and integrity.” Trump lauded Clayton as “a great man, a great attorney.”
During the 2024 campaign, Trump had proposed declassifying federal Epstein files, but he now frames the matter as a politically-motivated narrative targeting Democrats, tweeting that the situation is “another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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