Former US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the connections between the late Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sex trafficking, and former Democratic President Bill Clinton.
This move comes amidst swirling controversy. Trump’s announcement follows the release of a 2019 email purportedly from Epstein by Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday. This email has raised new questions about Epstein’s ties to Trump himself, prompting accusations of deflection from the former president.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “I will be asking Attorney General Pam Bondi, the DOJ, and our great patriots at the FBI to investigate the involvement of Jeffrey Epstein and his relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, JP Morgan Chase, and other people and institutions.”
He further added, “Records show that these men, and many others, spent a large portion of their lives with Epstein and on his island.”
Trump’s statement breaks a two-day silence on the escalating scandal. The released emails have fueled speculation regarding the nature of the former president’s relationship with Epstein.
The Republican leader accused his Democratic rivals of “using the Epstein hoax” to distract from a recent settlement ending the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history, claiming the scandal involves “Democrats, not Republicans.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Florida for the weekend, Trump claimed he “knew nothing” about an Epstein email suggesting his awareness of the convicted businessman’s sexual abuse. He asserted that his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein had been “very bad for many years.”
In response, Pam Bondi announced that the DOJ would “pursue this matter swiftly and fairly,” indicating that New York Attorney General Jay Clayton “will take the lead” on Trump’s request. The investigation’s scope and timeline remain unclear. This is a developing story.
