Donald Trump counterattacked on Friday, November 14, by calling for a federal investigation into ties between Jeffrey Epstein and certain Democratic figures including Bill Clinton, at a time when his relationship with the sex offender who died in prison is the subject of new questions.
Through investigations that he requested to be opened by the Department of Justice and the Federal Police (FBI), the American president also targeted Larry Summers, Treasury secretary Bill Clinton, investor and businessman Reid Hoffman, the bank JP Morgan Chase and “many other people and institutions”. “Records show these people, and many others, spent a lot of time with Epstein”he assured, without providing evidence.
Jeffrey Epstein, who like the American president was a figure in New York social life, “He’s a Democrat, he’s the Democrats’ problem, not the Republicans’ problem.”said the 79-year-old billionaire, still at Truth Social.
The American Minister of Justice, Pam Bondi, promised X that his services would act “diligently and honestly provide answers to the American people”mentioned that he entrusted this file to Jay Clayton, the former boss of the American financial markets watchdog (SEC), who was appointed as prosecutor by Donald Trump.
In July, the Justice Department and FBI announced they had not done so “no evidence has been found to form the basis of an investigation into persons who have not yet been tried” in the Epstein affair. Both institutions also believe that this will not happen “irrelevant” to publish it “Epstein Dossier” (“Epstein Files” in English). This position has caused incomprehension, even anger, among many supporters of Donald Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
The vote is expected to take place in the House of Representatives
The latter had promised during his campaign to crush disclosures regarding this highly sensitive issue. But once back in power, the former real estate developer, who frequently visited Jeffrey Epstein when they were still figures on the New York jet set before falling out with him, tried to close the case.
On Friday, Donald Trump again accused the Democratic Party of promoting a “Epstein Fraud” and criticized Republican plans to hold a vote to force the release of the Justice Department documents. The House of Representatives is expected to consider a bill on this matter next week.
“You have the opportunity to vote to release the Epstein documents, and with it, fulfill a promise that the American people have waited too long for. We implore you to do so”wrote Jeffrey Epstein’s victims in a letter addressed to the American Congress and obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Friday.
The Epstein affair was relaunched this week with the publication of emails from the New York financier, with a remarkably comprehensive address book. Donald Trump “know about women” sexually assaulted and even “spent a few hours” with one of them, for example, emails from Jeffrey Epstein, which were revealed by Democratic lawmakers.
“I don’t know anything about that.”
But the American president assured on Friday, when he went to Florida: “I don’t know anything about it. (If not) “That must have been said a long time ago,” he said aboard the presidential plane Air Force One. “Jeffrey Epstein and I had a very bad relationship for many years”he added.
“Some weak Republicans have fallen into his clutches (Democrat) because they are soft and stupid”he attacked. The American president was referring to figures in his party who insisted that the Department of Justice make public the documents it has on this highly sensitive political-judicial issue.
Among the emails is an exchange with Larry Summers, who served as Barack Obama’s economic adviser and president of prestigious Harvard University. Bill Clinton, for his part, frequently visited the New York financier in the 1990s and 2000s.
“These emails prove that Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing. The rest is just noise, intended to distract from his election defeat.” (Republican Party) and the backlash caused by budget paralysis”reaction of Angel Urena, spokesperson for the former president.
Contacted by AFP, Larry Summers’ office did not immediately respond.
Accused of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein’s actions by allowing him to finance his activities, JP Morgan Chase bank agreed to pay $290 million to alleged victims, under an agreement announced in June 2023 and avoiding a media trial. “We regret the relationship we had with this man but we did not help him commit heinous acts.”said a JP Morgan Chase spokesperson.
With his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell as his agent, Jeffrey Epstein brought minors to his residences, especially in New York and Florida, to sexually abuse them under the pretext of massage. He died in prison in 2019 before his trial, an apparent suicide according to authorities. Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a twenty year prison sentence for sexual exploitation.
Some Americans and radical right-wing figures believe that Jeffrey Epstein was actually murdered to prevent him from implicating prominent figures who profited from his network of sexual exploitation.
