Washington — President Trump on Friday requested that the Justice Department and FBI investigate the involvement of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein with notable Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, as well as major financial institutions.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that Democrats are focusing on what he termed the “Epstein hoax” to divert attention from the recent government shutdown, which was the longest in U.S. history and ended Wednesday.
Investigation Request
“I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice, together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions,” Trump stated. He indicated that this investigation would aim to clarify their connections to Epstein.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later confirmed that she had asked Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead the investigation. This office oversees matters from Manhattan and the Bronx, as well as the counties north of the city.
Previous Investigations and Current Developments
This announcement follows a July memo from the Justice Department and FBI, which reported an “exhaustive review” regarding Epstein and concluded that there was no evidence warranting further investigation of uncharged third parties. They also stated that no “client list” or credible evidence had been found indicating that Epstein had blackmailed significant figures.
Trump’s call for an investigation arrives as the House is expected to vote next week on legislation that would require the Justice Department to release files from its investigation into Epstein. The president has opposed this release, criticizing Republican support for the motion as “soft and foolish.”
In a related investigation, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee recently released over 20,000 pages of materials obtained from Epstein’s estate, including emails and messages that mention Trump. Epstein communicated with several notable figures, raising questions about their relationships with him.
