Washington DC (US): US President Donald Trump said on Friday (local time) that he intends to direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s connections with several prominent public figures. The announcement comes just days after Democrats released a series of emails from Epstein\u2019s estate that reference Trump.<\/p>\n
Posting on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of using what he called the \u201cEpstein Hoax\u201d to distract the public from the ongoing government shutdown.<\/p>\n
Bondi responded on X, thanking Trump and sharing a screenshot of his message. She later confirmed she would move forward with the probe at the President\u2019s request, assigning Jay Clayton \u2014 the chief federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York \u2014 to oversee the investigation, CNN reported.<\/p>\n
For years, Trump has attempted to distance himself from Epstein, the disgraced financier who, for a time, circulated in the same elite social circles as Trump in Manhattan and Palm Beach. Trump once described Epstein as a \u201cterrific guy\u201d in 2002, but later claimed he \u201cwas not a fan,\u201d saying their relationship soured long before Epstein\u2019s most serious criminal allegations came to light.<\/p>\n
However, newly released emails from Epstein\u2019s estate \u2014 made public this week by the House Oversight Committee \u2014 provide additional context to a long-scrutinised association.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, following Bondi\u2019s directive to the FBI to examine Epstein-related documents for possible release, federal investigators reviewed the materials again and concluded there was no evidence to support further prosecution, according to law enforcement officials cited by CNN.<\/p>\n
The latest batch of emails does not present new evidence of misconduct involving Trump but revives several contentious claims, including:<\/p>\n
* Epstein\u2019s allegation that Trump \u201cspent hours\u201d with a trafficking victim at his residence \u2014 a person House Republicans have identified as the late Virginia Giuffre. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, never accused Trump of wrongdoing in her writings or public statements.
\n* Epstein\u2019s suggestion that Trump \u201cknew about the girls,\u201d appearing to contradict Trump\u2019s past assertion that he barred Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for attempting to recruit underage staff.
\n* Epstein\u2019s scathing private remarks about Trump during his presidency. In a 2018 email to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein wrote: \u201cI told everyone from day one. evil beyond belief, mad\u2026 he feels alone. and is nuts!!!\u201d<\/p>\n
The emails add new texture to a relationship that has long been the subject of public and political scrutiny, even as investigators maintain that no new charges can be pursued based on the current evidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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