Donald Trump has publicly commented on the inclusion of former President Invoice Clinton within the notorious Epstein recordsdata, for the primary time.
The forty seventh US President spoke to the press yesterday (22 December), mere days after the Division of Justice (DOJ) lastly dropped the bombshell everybody was ready for, making 1000’s of recordsdata linked to convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, public.
Epstein, who was discovered useless in a New York jail cell after being arrested on intercourse trafficking fees in 2019, has been the topic of dialog for years in hyperlinks with a number of large names and crimes.
Over 13,000 paperwork have been shared by the DOJ on Friday, with a number of large names corresponding to President Trump, such because the likes of Kevin Spacey, Michael Jackson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor among the many celebrities pictured.
It has been mentioned that at the least 13 images have disappeared from the web site on Saturday, together with certainly one of Trump, as Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee questioned if something was being coated up.
Trump and Clinton are amongst snaps launched as a part of the Epstein recordsdata (Davidoff Studios/Getty Photographs)
Clinton, the forty second President of the US, was additionally pictured quite a few occasions, even releasing an announcement about ‘somebody or one thing being protected’, urging the DOJ to launch the remainder of the Epstein recordsdata.
Trump spoke to reporters concerning the inclusion of the previous President within the photos, to which he claimed he did not ‘like the photographs of different folks being proven’.
A press convention was held to announce new battleships for the Navy however with it being the primary because the largest launch of the Epstein recordsdata but, Trump was unsurprisingly confronted with some questions.
Since being signed into legislation by Trump after laws was handed by Congress, the DOJ has acknowledged that it’ll proceed to launch extra recordsdata within the coming weeks.
“I don’t like the photographs of Invoice Clinton being proven. I don’t like the photographs of different folks being proven. I believe it’s a horrible factor,” Trump acknowledged.
He even mentioned he is ‘at all times gotten together with Invoice Clinton’, that he respects him and that he ‘hates’ to see photos come out of him within the recordsdata.
Trump then highlighted that ‘that is what the Democrats and a few unhealthy Republicans are asking for’, noting that Clinton is a ‘large boy’ and may in all probability deal with the scrutiny.
Pictures have been taken on Epstein’s aircraft, his residence, or at social occasions amongst different settings, because the President identified that the ‘large backlash’ to paperwork have come after it has put ‘folks that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years in the past’ in a foul gentle.
The President added: “Lots of people are very offended that photos are being launched of different folks that basically had nothing to do with Epstein, however they’re in an image with him as a result of he was at a celebration, and also you wreck a fame of someone, so lots of people are very offended that this continues.”
Greater than a dozen recordsdata launched by the US Justice Division in relation to Jeffrey Epstein have now disappeared.
A photograph of President Donald Trump is among the many now-missing paperwork, prompting politicians to accuse the White House of orchestrating a ‘cowl up’.
Individuals have been pouring over the most recent dump of court docket data, footage and pictures since they had been launched on Friday (19 December) – however now, some have them have vanished. A minimum of 16 recordsdata which had been uploaded to the US Division of Justice web site are not accessible to view.
Questions on ‘transparency’ are actually being raised, as one of many photographs which has seemingly been eliminated included President Trump.
The {photograph} in query lies within an open drawer alongside varied different snaps and paperwork, and seems to indicate the commander-in-chief, 79, together with his spouse Melania, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
Different photographs – together with some which confirmed work of nude ladies – have additionally disappeared.
The picture which exhibits a photograph of Trump has disappeared (Division of Justice)
The Justice Division did not instantly handle the matter, however stated in a put up on X on Saturday (20 December): “Images and different supplies will proceed being reviewed and redacted in keeping with the regulation in an abundance of warning as we obtain extra info.”
Democrats on the Home Oversight Committee additionally took to social media within the search of solutions.
The put up learn: “This photograph, file 468, from the Epstein recordsdata that features Donald Trump has apparently now been faraway from the DOJ launch. AG Bondi, is that this true?
“What else is being lined up? We’d like transparency for the American public.”
One other stated: “This can be a White House Cowl-Up.”
The recordsdata associated to convicted intercourse offender Epstein had been launched a month after the Epstein Information Transparency Act was handed, however numerous them are closely redacted.
Trump, Melania, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2000 (Davidoff Studios/Getty Photographs)
New York senator Chuck Schumer stated what we have seen to this point is ‘only a fraction of the entire physique of proof’, whereas saying that sharing pages of blacked out textual content ‘violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the regulation’.
Reacting to the elimination of a few of the recordsdata, Schumer stated in a put up on X: “This might be one of many greatest cowl ups in American historical past.”
Congresswoman Shontel Brown agreed, as she stated in her personal put up: “Trump and his lackeys have confirmed one factor – they’re completely dedicated to the coverup.”
There’s nonetheless extra Epstein recordsdata to come back, because the Justice Division stated the data will likely be launched on a rolling foundation. This has additionally annoyed politicians, on condition that Congress ordered that all the recordsdata had been to be launched on Friday.
“They’re completely in violation of the regulation, they simply admitted they had been in violation of the regulation,” Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, from the US Home oversight committee, stated.
“The regulation stated they wanted to launch the whole lot by at the moment. Not beginning at the moment, not a part of it at the moment, all of it by at the moment. There’s no excuse for this. They’re in violation of the regulation and we are going to pursue each potential authorized avenue.”
A brand new set of pictures from Jeffrey Epstein’s property have been launched by the Home Oversight Democrats, and as soon as once more options a lot of well-known faces.
Photos have been launched final week that confirmed Epstein alongside a lot of celeb faces, together with Woody Allen, Richard Branson, Invoice Clinton, and President Donald Trump.
The brand new pictures embrace a lot of stunning images, with some exhibiting ladies with writing on them: extracts from the 1955 novel Lolita a couple of man’s sexual obsession with a 12-year-old woman.
US lawmakers have been releasing sections of the 95,000 pictures they have been despatched by the Epstein property, although have clarified that not one of the photos have been supplied with context.
Immediately (19 December) marks the deadline for the DOJ to launch the complete ‘Epstein Recordsdata’ after a legislation was handed in November which demanded the complete launch of the photographs and information linked to the disgraced financier.
Listed below are all of the well-known faces and celebrities who appeared within the new set of Epstein photographs launched (Be aware: The pictures usually are not proof of any wrongdoing).
Invoice Gates
Invoice Gates is proven alongside a younger girl within the picture (Home Oversight Democrats)
Co-Founding father of Microsoft and tech multi-billionaire Invoice Gates seems in two completely different pictures alongside younger ladies. Their faces have been redacted from the information to guard their anonymity.
Gates is among the most high-profile names to have been included in earlier leaks of the Epstein information and as a single entry on the extremely publicised flight logs. False claims have unfold on-line that he travelled to the island ‘37 occasions’, nonetheless Gates has admitted publicly that he took a number of conferences with Epstein.
Interviewed by Anderson Cooper in 2021 about his relationship with Epstein, he mentioned: “It was an enormous mistake to spend time with him, to present him the credibility of being there.
“I had a number of dinners with him, you realize, hoping that what he mentioned about getting billions of philanthropy for world well being by contacts that he had may emerge… when it seemed like that wasn’t an actual factor, that relationship ended.”
Invoice Gates’ ex-wife Melinda French Gates has pointed to his relationship with Epstein as an element of their divorce, saying: “I didn’t like that he had conferences with Jeffrey Epstein, no. I made that clear to him.”
She mentioned she met with Epstein ‘precisely one time’ to see who he was and that she discovered him ‘abhorrent’, stating: “I regretted it the second I walked within the door… He was evil personified.”
Attendees of a ‘Billionaire’s Dinner’
Sergey Brin was additionally included within the launch (Home Oversight Democrats)
A number of of the photographs look like taken from ‘The Edge Billionaire’s Dinner 2011’, an everyday occasion held by John Brockman. Brockman is a literary agent who began the Edge Basis, an internet journal which explores scientific and mental concepts.
Images launched confirmed former YouTube CEO Salar Kamangar, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and New York Instances columnist David Brooks. Although not included within the pictures launched by Home Oversight Democrats, Elon Musk and Steve Bezos additionally attended the dinner.
Bezos has not been alleged to have any hyperlinks to Epstein and, while Musk was included in a single entry of the Epstein information launched earlier this 12 months, he denied visiting the island and mentioned the financier was ‘clearly a creep’.
A Instances spokesperson launched an announcement saying: “As a journalist, David Brooks often attends occasions to talk with famous and vital enterprise leaders to tell his columns, which is strictly what occurred at this 2011 occasion. Mr Brooks had no contact with [Epstein] earlier than or after this single attendance at a widely-attended dinner.”
Noam Chomsky
He was pictured alongside Epstein within the pictures (Home Oversight Democrats)
The general public mental, creator, and professor typically generally known as ‘the daddy of contemporary linguistics’ seems in two pictures alongside Epstein on his personal aircraft.
Beforehand Chomsky had said that his relationship with the financier, who was arrested on fees of intercourse trafficking of minors earlier than his dying, went so far as him serving to Chomsky and his late-wife switch cash.
He informed the Wall Avenue Journal beforehand that they’d additionally often meet to debate tutorial and political issues.
In emails launched in November of this 12 months nonetheless, Chomsky said that it was a ‘most precious expertise’ to be in ‘common contact’ with Epstein.
These emails additionally confirmed that they have been shut sufficient to be often talk about music and potential trip spots. He wrote an undated letter of help for Epstein, saying: “I met Jeffrey Epstein half a dozen years in the past. We now have been in common contact since, with many lengthy and infrequently in-depth discussions a couple of very wide selection of subjects, together with our personal specialties {and professional} work, however a bunch of others the place we have now shared pursuits. It has been a most precious expertise for me.”
David Blaine, Steve Bannon, and Woody Allen
Blaine is proven on the left, with Allen additionally attending the identical dinner (Home Oversight Democrats)
Magician David Blaine has by no means spoken about his connection to Jeffrey Epstein, however has been a long-reported title from leaked flight logs and emails. Blaine carried out a personal present for Epstein in 2003 additionally attended by an assist for Invoice Clinton and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. He’s proven in a single picture performing for Epstein, Woody Allen, and others.
Woody Allen spoke out in help of Epstein up to now, saying that he ‘by no means, ever, noticed Jeffrey with underage women’. Allen and his spouse, his former adopted daughter, Quickly-Yi Previn, have been neighbours with Epstein and would often go for dinner with him.
When requested in a New York Instances interview whether or not he regretted his dinners after the revelations of Epstein’s horrific crimes, he mentioned: “Nicely, I’m a author, so I don’t get delay. These dinners have been fascinating and when it was all uncovered, it turns into attention-grabbing to a author, as a result of then you definately’re coping with a type of nefarious character in your doorstep.”
Political strategist Steve Bannon is one other face to have appeared in each units of releases of pictures from Epstein’s property, claiming that previous to his dying he was engaged on a movie in regards to the disgraced financier. He has roughly 15 hours and mentioned earlier this 12 months: “We’ll launch the movie, the five-part sequence, subsequent 12 months – early subsequent 12 months.” Leaked messages from the BBC indicate nonetheless that their relationship was far nearer than he has urged, saying he was nearer to Epstein’s ‘private assistant’.
In addition to that includes numerous high-profile figures, the newly launched images of Jeffrey Epstein embrace a number of unusual particulars.
On Friday (12 December), Democrats on the US Home Oversight Committee launched extra photographs from the property of the convicted intercourse offender.
Consultant Robert Garcia, the committee’s rating Democrat, described the hoard of snaps of Epstein and his ‘highly effective mates’ as ‘disturbing’.
“It’s time to finish this White House cover-up and produce justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his highly effective mates,” he stated.
“These disturbing images elevate much more questions on Epstein and his relationships with among the strongest males on the planet.
“We won’t relaxation till the American individuals get the reality. The Division of Justice should launch all of the information, NOW.”
Every of the individuals within the photographs has individually denied wrongdoing associated to Epstein, and being featured in a picture doesn’t present any proof of a relationship or dealings with the convicted intercourse offender.
The White House has shared a damning assertion in response, claiming that the pictures had been ‘cherry-picked with random redactions to try to create a false narrative’.
The images had been launched with out captions or context – and consequently, individuals have been making their very own fascinating deductions after scrutinising them.
In any case, they do say the satan is within the particulars.
Photograph body
The framed image on Epstein’s desk has left individuals baffled (Home Oversight Democrats)
In one of many 19 snaps, Epstein could be seen chatting to President Donald Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon throughout a desk.
Three picture body face the disgraced financier – and one among them seems to characteristic a wierd picture of what appears to be an individual mendacity on their facet.
It’s partially censored and once more, there hasn’t been any context given by the Committee, so it is sparked a variety of dialogue on-line about what might probably be occurring within the picture.
Epstein’s desk
Social media customers have been analysing the opposite objects on his desk too (Home Oversight Democrats)
Individuals have additionally been elevating questions on among the trinkets littered throughout Epstein’s desk in the identical snap with Bannon.
There seems to be some small collectible figurines alongside quite a few different ornaments, which might have been collected by the 66-year-old who took his personal life in 2019, given his affection for gathering artwork.
A field of tissues, a pair of glasses and an iMac are additionally seen on his desk.
The glove
The ribbed glove seems to be an grownup toy (Home Oversight Democrats)
Probably the most weird photographs launched within the Committee’s newest drop exhibits what appears to be a latex glove with ribbed fingers.
It’s believed to be an grownup toy which might presumably be used for sexual functions.
On-line, it has been dubbed a ‘intercourse glove’ by a variety of social media customers, who’ve been left unnerved by the picture.
Intercourse toys
Different intercourse toys had been additionally pictured (Home Oversight Democrats)
The glove is not the one intercourse toy pictured, as a number of different related gadgets had been additionally seen within the photographs.
Some remained of their packages whereas others had been unboxed – and based on their labels, Epstein had a ‘P***y Pump’ and ‘Excessive Restraints’.
There have been additionally some bondage ropes and what seemed to be a pair of handcuffs.
‘Jawbreaker Gag’
The disclaimer that got here with the ‘Jawbreaker Gag’ (Home Oversight Democrats)
Epstein’s field of methods did not finish there both, as he was additionally in possession of an grownup toy which is described as a ‘Jawbreaker Gag’.
Among the many new photographs is a label explaining the phrases and circumstances and disclaimer of guarantee of the product – and it warns that it needs to be used with ‘excessive care and warning’.
It consists of warnings about how it may be a ‘choking hazard’, may cause a ‘individual to vomit and suffocate even whereas standing’.
It provides: “Failure to comply with these directions might end in severe harm or loss of life.. By no means depart an individual with a Jawbreaker Gag of their mouth unattended.”
Invoice Gates
(Home Oversight Democrats)
In addition to that includes in a number of of the pictures launched by the Committee, tech billionaire Invoice Gates is seen in a framed image which was presumably on Epstein’s wall.
Individuals assume that it exhibits the Microsoft co-founder on his non-public jet.
Questions have been raised about why Epstein would have such a seemingly mundane picture framed on his wall.
Ebook
Bannon options in numerous the snaps (Home Oversight Democrats)
Bannon options in one other of the pictures, which exhibits him and Epstein taking a selfie in entrance of a mirror.
Within the background, we will see a desk which has 5 books stacked on it – and eagle eyed social media customers reckon they’re the work of journalist Michael Wolff.
Fireplace and Fury: Contained in the Trump White House was revealed in 2018 and is described as providing an in-depth look into Trump’s presidential marketing campaign.
Trump-themed condoms
The novelty condoms characteristic a cartoon picture of the US President (Home Oversight Democrats)
One other uncommon picture exhibits a stash of Trump-themed mockup condoms, which characteristic a cartoon depiction of the President and the phrases ‘I’M HUUUUGE’.
They sit subsequent to an indication which lists their value as $4.95 and based on the Mirror, they had been manufactured by the novelty agency Fishs Eddy, which relies in New York.
No additional context concerning the picture was shared by the Committee.
Convicted intercourse offender Ghislaine Maxwell has been questioned in jail about Prince Andrew and three thriller British folks in reference to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
The previous socialite, who’s at the moment in jail for intercourse trafficking of a minor amongst different counts, was interviewed by authorities legal professionals close to to the Tallahassee Federal Jail in Florida the place she was serving her sentence.
The interview occurred previous to her latest transfer to a low-risk jail in Texas this week, with the relocation motivated by Maxwell receiving dying threats from rapists and murderers accusing her of being a ‘snitch’, according to the Day by day Mail.
Within the interview, Maxwell was reportedly requested about former buddy Prince Andrew. The Duke at all times denied claims by Virginia Giuffre that she was sex-trafficked to him by Epstein when she was simply 17.
Maxwell was additionally questioned about different Brits within the deceased financier’s shut circle.
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein maintained a detailed relationship for 3 many years. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Pictures)
Whereas the identities of the folks allegedly in cahoots with Epstein and Maxwell weren’t revealed, one is believed to be a ‘high-profile public determine’ who had a long-running friendship with Epstein.
One other is alleged to have spent a number of time at Epstein’s numerous properties, together with his personal Caribbean island, his townhouse in Manhattan and his New Mexico ranch (via Day by day Mail).
Two of the Brits talked about are additionally believed to have flown on Epstein’s personal jet, Lolita Specific, a number of instances, whereas the third attended a number of dinners hosted by the late intercourse offender in New York and Palm Seaside.
That is the primary time that Maxwell has been formally questioned about Prince Andrew, although the content material of the interview with Deputy US Lawyer Basic Todd Blanche hasn’t been disclosed.
Maxwell is at the moment serving a 20-year sentence for youngster trafficking and different counts (Metropolitan Detention Heart)
The interview reportedly lasted 9 hours, throughout which Maxwell was additionally quizzed in regards to the likes of Invoice Clinton, Invoice Gates, and ‘a number of billionaires’.
This comes after CCTV jail footage of the night time Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019 was launched to the general public by the US Justice Division (DOJ).
Conspiracy theorists have been alerted by the absence of 60 seconds from the video, with the ‘lacking minute’ initially attributed to a CCTV digital camera glitch by US Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi. Extra not too long ago, nevertheless, it was prompt that the tape may have been a display screen recording slightly than the unique footage, with the looks of a determine in what appears to be an orange inmate uniform additionally elevating extra questions because it was initially recognized as a jail officer.
Donald Trump has made a serious U-turn after the US Justice Division and FBI stated there was no proof of an ‘Epstein shopper checklist’ earlier this month.
Conspiracy theorists have lengthy claimed that the alleged checklist was thought to implicate high-profile associates who travelled to Epstein’s obvious underage sex-trafficking island.
The financier, 66, a convicted intercourse offender who was on trial for intercourse trafficking, was discovered hanged in a New York jail cell in 2019.
His loss of life was dominated as a suicide, though not everyone seems to be satisfied.
Should you’re questioning how Trump comes into all of this, effectively, the US President was stated to be on pleasant phrases with Epstein previous to his first cost in 2006.
This is every thing we find out about Trump and Epstein’s relationship, and the drama that was quickly to observe:
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein have been pictured on the similar events all through the years (Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Photos)
The Nineties – Trump and Epstein first meet
They first met within the early Nineties, shifting in the identical elite Palm Seaside social circles. In 2002, Trump known as Epstein a ‘terrific man’ in a quote printed by New York Journal.
After Epstein’s controversial loss of life in 2019, nonetheless, Trump backtracked and stated he was ‘not a fan’ of the businessman.
Quick ahead to this week, whereas in his second time period of presidency, the Republican chief ordered a movement to hunt a court docket order to unseal transcripts from Epstein’s 2007–08 Florida case, not together with the ‘non-existent’ recordsdata.
He known as media protection ‘ridiculous’ however stated Individuals deserve the reality.
Trump has made a serious U-turn in a bid for transparency (Picture by Davidoff Studios/Getty Photos)
14 July, 2025 – Republicans block launch of recordsdata
So the Home Guidelines Committee voted to strip an modification from a crypto regulation invoice that may have compelled the DOJ to launch all Epstein-related paperwork.
Regardless of Trump’s previous guarantees to make every thing public, Republicans have stated to shut ranks to forestall compelled transparency.
Though Rep. Ralph Norman stated: “The general public’s been asking for it.”
15 July, 2025 – Home Speaker urges full launch of recordsdata in shock transfer
Speaker Mike Johnson publicly known as for all Epstein information to be made public. He stated Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi “ought to launch every thing” and finish hypothesis.
Trump has denied the allegation of sending Epstein a ‘birthday message’ in 2003 (Mark Wilson/Getty Photos)
17 July, 2025 — Wall Avenue Journal publishes alleged Trump–Epstein birthday letter from 2003
The Wall Avenue Journal shared an alleged letter written by Trump to Epstein for his fiftieth birthday in 2003.
In response to the outlet, the letter was framed with a crude sketch of a unadorned lady and included the road: “Blissful Birthday — and will each day be one other great secret.”
Later that day, Trump directed AG Pam Bondi to hunt a court docket order to unseal grand jury transcripts from Epstein’s 2007–08 Florida case.
18 July, 2025 – Trump calls birthday letter ‘pretend’ and threatens a lawsuit
Trump denied authoring the birthday letter, calling it ‘pretend’ and penning on Reality Social: “This isn’t me. It is a pretend factor. It is a pretend Wall Avenue Journal story. I by no means wrote an image in my life. I do not draw footage of ladies. It isn’t my language. It isn’t my phrases.”
He then threatened authorized motion by stating: “I advised Rupert Murdoch it was a Rip-off, that he should not print this Pretend Story. However he did, and now I will sue his a** off, and that of his third price newspaper.”
Trump additionally repeated his declare that your complete Epstein controversy is an ‘elaborate hoax’.
If it is bought something to do with Jeffrey Epstein, Donald Trump would not wish to know.
The disgraced financier’s identify has been hitting the headlines as soon as once more over the previous couple of weeks, six years after he dedicated suicide in jail.
Conspiracy theories about each his dying in August 2019 and his catalogue of horrific crimes have run rampant since then – and now, they actually aren’t slowing down.
Amid the fixed hypothesis about Epstein’s suicide being an orchestrated killing and which celebrities had been allegedly incriminated in his little black e-book, US authorities stepped in.
In Might this 12 months, the FBI introduced it will launch CCTV footage, which might supposedly ‘show’ the 66-year-old took his personal life, weeks after Epstein’s most vocal accuser, Virginia Giuffre, died.
Bizarrely, Elon Musk then claimed that President Donald Trump was ‘within the Epstein recordsdata’, alleging that is why ‘they haven’t been made public’.
Epstein died within the Manhattan jail in August 2019 whereas awaiting trial (Kypros/Getty Pictures)
These unsealed paperwork had been a part of a lawsuit filed towards Epstein’s ex-partner Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015 by the late Virginia Giuffre – and so they include paperwork, movies, and investigative supplies.
Musk then began to name for the discharge of the ‘unredacted’ recordsdata, simply days earlier than the FBI lived as much as its promise and dropped the footage of Epstein’s final moments in jail.
However for lots of people, this ended up elevating extra questions than solutions – however frankly, plainly Donald Trump would not wish to speak concerning the matter any longer.
What we find out about Epstein footage
The FBI and Division of Justice (DOJ) launched 11 hours of CCTV footage recorded in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Centre which captured Epstein’s last actions on movie.
It exhibits the outside of the cell he was confined to whereas awaiting trial on a slew of intercourse trafficking expenses, however the clip is basically uneventful.
What it did seize although, was Epstein being walked into the lock-up by jail guards at 7:49pm on 9 August, 2019, hours earlier than he’s stated to have taken his personal life.
In line with the FBI and the DOJ, the truth that there was no different foot site visitors captured within the footage from this second onwards ‘proves’ that Epstein carried out the suicide himself.
Each imagine that this simply debunks theories that the businessman was murdered, because the digicam would have seen anybody who went to the door and entered the cell.
Eagle-eyed viewers then noticed that there was a lacking minute within the 11-hour video – however in keeping with US Legal professional Normal Pam Bondi, it is merely right down to a technological glitch.
She claimed that the ‘misplaced minute’ – which takes place at 11.59pm, because the time switches from 11.58.59pm to midnight – was because of the correctional facility’s outdated system.
“There was a minute that was off the counter, and what we realized from the Bureau of Prisons is each evening they redo that video…each evening ought to have the identical minute lacking,” Bondi stated, as per ABC Information.
Trump shuts down reporter
Trump made it clear he did not wish to focus on the subject (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Throughout a Cupboard assembly on Tuesday (8 July), President Trump basically instructed a reporter to vary the document once they requested a query about Epstein.
The journalist had tried to ask Bondi about why she beforehand acknowledged that Epstein’s shopper record was ‘sat on her desk’ ready to be reviewed again in February, since officers have since made a U-turn on this.
Nonetheless, the commander-in-chief interjected earlier than the Legal professional Normal might muster up a solution and coldly shut down the reporter.
The President stated: “Are you continue to speaking about Jeffrey Epstein? This man’s been talked about for years!
“We’ve got Texas, we’ve this, we’ve the entire issues that… and are folks nonetheless speaking about this man, this creep? That’s unbelievable.
“I can not imagine you are asking a query on Epstein at a time like this, after we’re having among the best success – and in addition tragedy, with what occurred in Texas.
“It simply looks as if a desecration.”
Why FBI says no ‘shopper record’ exists
The disgraced financier, pictured with Ghislaine Maxwell, was rumoured to have an incriminating shopper ‘record’ (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Pictures)
After Trump completed giving the reporter a dressing down for daring to ask a query about Epstein, Bondi determined to reply the query which was posed to her.
Her remark concerning the record being sat on her desk months in the past has come again to hang-out her, because the FBI and DOJ have now stated there was no proof to counsel Epstein owned a ‘shopper record’ that he wielded for blackmailing functions.
“This systematic assessment revealed no incriminating ‘shopper record,’” the report stated. “There was additionally no proof discovered that Epstein blackmailed distinguished people as a part of his actions.
“We didn’t uncover proof that might predicate an investigation towards uncharged third events.”
It went on to say that a lot of the recovered Epstein materials confirmed there had been 1000’s of victims and included particular particulars about these victims, comparable to likeness, locations of beginning and associates.
However nonetheless, folks cannot get their heads round why Bondi would seemingly allude to the truth that the shopper record existed – however in keeping with the Legal professional Normal, she merely made a slip of the tongue when she stated it.
“In February, I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting numerous consideration as a result of I used to be requested a query concerning the shopper record,” Bondi stated.
“My response was, it’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed – which means the file, together with the JFK, MLK recordsdata as properly. That’s what I meant by that.”
Elon Musk would not appear satisfied by this although, seeing him share a scathing response on his social media platform, X.
The House Oversight Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend that the full House hold billionaire Leon Black in contempt of Congress. The 41-0 bipartisan vote stems from Black’s refusal to comply with subpoenas issued as part of the committee’s investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Background on the Investigation
Black, a private equity investor and co-founder of Apollo Global Management, had a business relationship with Epstein. He voluntarily appeared for a closed-door transcribed interview with the Republican-led committee in late June but departed before the session concluded. Lawmakers alleged he was not answering their questions, prompting the committee to issue subpoenas demanding additional information.
Black subsequently failed to appear for a scheduled deposition and filed a lawsuit seeking to block the subpoenas for his testimony and for nondisclosure agreements tied to Epstein.
Ahead of the vote, which was called by Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., attorneys for Black issued a scathing statement.
“This is retaliation — plain and simple,” the attorneys, Susan Estrich and Aaron Cutler, wrote. “We have the constitutional right to sue Chairman Comer and the Committee because the subpoenas issued were illegitimate, illegal and a textbook abuse of power designed to bully and destroy legal protections of private citizens.”
The statement characterized the committee’s action as a complete abomination.
Black’s Ties to Epstein and Previous Review
Black announced he was stepping down as CEO of Apollo Global Management in January 2021. This followed an internal review that found he had paid Epstein $158 million for advice on tax and estate planning and related services between 2012 and 2017. The same review concluded that Black was not involved in Epstein’s criminal activities.
Black has consistently stated he did not engage in any wrongdoing and deeply regrets his involvement with Epstein. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Black has not been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement and has denied any involvement in or awareness of Epstein’s illegal activity.
Next Steps: Full House Vote
Following the committee’s contempt recommendation, the resolution moves to the full House for a vote, though passage is not guaranteed. Rep. Comer told NBC News after Tuesday’s vote that he expects the House to take up the resolution on Thursday.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, signaled strong bipartisan support for the measure.
“today’s a really important day for justice.” He add that the committee will “work towards a strong vote of the House in a bipartisan way to get and ensure that we get our testimony and that Leon Black faces justice for these two subpoenas.”
