Attorney General Announces Investigation into Trump Rivals and Jeffrey Epstein Ties
This past Friday, the Attorney General designated interim US attorney Jay Clayton to oversee an probe into political adversaries of the President and their connections with Jeffrey Epstein. This decision came just after the president ordered her to launch the investigation.
During an announcement, Bondi praised Clayton as “a highly skilled and reliable legal expert”. She added, “The department will handle this matter promptly and thoroughly to provide clarity for citizens.”
This development contrasts with a recent memorandum from justice department officials which stated that the Epstein files lacked grounds for additional investigations. As per the document, investigators “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”
Trump Demands Scrutiny of Democrats in Epstein Case
This news comes as increasing demands from the president on lawmakers to block the public disclosure of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision in the coming days. Many Republicans are anticipated to support the release.
Recently released communications from Epstein have highlighted the president’s past involvement with the sex trafficker, including information that he knew more about Epstein’s conduct than he has previously let on.
On Friday, the President announced he would ask the Department of Justice to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. Interestingly, Trump also referred to the “Epstein situation” as a “scam”.
Other Developments from Friday
- The President stated he would take legal action against the BBC, despite a formal apology from the media outlet. He claimed the legal case could seek between a billion and $5bn.
- Epstein allegedly guided Steve Bannon during a pro-Trump effort to defend the president’s agenda. Text messages released detail Epstein’s involvement in advising Bannon.
- US military are planning for a divided Gaza, with a secure area under joint military oversight and a “red zone” unreconstructed.
- Georgia prosecutor have revived the last remaining criminal case against the President after naming a new lead prosecutor.
- The President reversed tariff policy by reducing duties on food imports like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to combat rising costs.
- US and Switzerland reached a trade agreement to reduce import taxes on Swiss goods from a significant decrease.
Other notable events included calls to protect national parks, objections of an antisemitism watchdog, and a judge’s decision for a resolution in the Purdue Pharma lawsuit.
