New York Time Now: Epstein Case Closed, Trump Defends Findings
The Justice Department's findings have been defended by Trump, who called the officials involved "the greatest law enforcement professionals". The case has been closed, with no further disclosure of Epstein-related material warranted due to concerns about child sexual abuse and exposing innocent individuals to allegations of wrongdoing.
US President Donald Trump has dismissed lingering questions about accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, saying the case has been talked about for years, after a joint review by the DOJ and FBI concluded that Epstein died by suicide and did not possess a "client list".
The comment came after a memo released on Monday stated that Epstein died by suicide and did not possess a list of clients, contradicting previous suggestions by senior Trump administration figures, including Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi clarified her comments on Tuesday, stating that she had "no knowledge" of whether Epstein worked with US or foreign intelligence agencies and that thousands of videos reviewed in the case could not be released due to child sexual exploitation material.
The DOJ and FBI investigation found no evidence to support conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's activities and death, including claims that he blackmailed prominent individuals. The review of over 300 gigabytes of data concluded that there was no incriminating client list and no evidence of Epstein blackmailing prominent people. The FBI had previously found that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell, and a subsequent report by the Justice Department's inspector general found that Bureau of Prisons employees failed to search his cell or check on him before his death.
The case has sparked outrage from some of Trump's supporters, who accused the administration of covering up the truth about Epstein's death and connections to powerful figures. Prominent figures in Trump's coalition, including Alex Jones and Laura Loomer, criticized the administration's handling of the case, with some suggesting that Epstein was murdered and had collected compromising material on influential people.