After Trump’s Demand, Bondi Seeks Review of Epstein’s Ties to Clinton and Other Political Figures

Justice Department Review of Epstein Links Prompted by Trump

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that she has asked federal authorities to have Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton review convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to several people President Donald Trump named, including former President Bill Clinton. Bondi announced on X that she had urged the Justice Department to assign Clayton — who took over as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in April — to the matter after Congress released a large cache of documents from Epstein’s estate.

Congressional Republicans published nearly 23,000 pages of material this week, and House Democrats highlighted a handful of emails that referenced Mr. Trump. Bondi praised Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country” and said the Justice Department should pursue any review “with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

Mr. Trump, who was long acquainted with Epstein, publicly demanded an inquiry without specifying alleged crimes to be investigated. In social media posts on Truth Social and other platforms, he urged probes into Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others he named, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn co-founder and donor Reid Hoffman. He also said financial institutions that did business with Epstein, including JPMorgan Chase, should be scrutinized.

“I’m the chief law enforcement officer of the country. I’m allowed to do it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked whether he should be ordering investigations.

Legal observers warn that the president’s public demand and Bondi’s quick call for a federal review highlight concerns about the Justice Department’s independence from the White House. Critics also view the move as a political effort to shift attention: Trump has himself been scrutinized for his past association with Epstein, though, like the others he named, he has not been accused by Epstein’s known victims of sexual misconduct.

JPMorgan spokesperson Patricia Wexler said the bank regretted its prior association with Epstein but denied any role in his crimes, adding that the government had not shared certain investigative information with banks. The bank previously settled lawsuits and agreed to payments with some of Epstein’s victims, who alleged the bank ignored warning signs.

Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s private jet but, through a spokesperson, has denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes and has not been accused by Epstein’s known victims. Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña wrote on X that the recently released emails “prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing.”

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl and served about a year in jail with a work-release arrangement after a deal that spared him a longer sentence on broader allegations. Federal prosecutors in New York revived the case in 2019; Epstein died by suicide in jail while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on charges related to procuring and grooming victims.

Summers and Hoffman appear in some of the released correspondence because of past social or fundraising ties to Epstein. Neither was charged in the criminal cases. Summers called his association with Epstein a “major error of judgment.” Hoffman said his interactions were limited and tied to fundraising for MIT’s Media Lab and apologized for helping to rehabilitate Epstein’s public image; he also financed E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit against Trump.

The documents released this week included messages mentioning Trump and correspondence with other prominent associates, such as Steve Bannon and Britain’s Prince Andrew, now styled Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who later settled a civil claim with an Epstein accuser. The messages show association but do not by themselves constitute evidence of criminal conduct by those named.

The House is moving toward a vote to compel the Justice Department to disclose all files and communications related to Epstein. Democrats and Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have traded document releases this week: Democrats released three email exchanges that referenced Trump, including one in which Epstein wrote that the president “knew about the girls”; Republicans released a much larger trove of correspondence.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of selectively leaking material to smear Trump. The president said he was unconcerned about whether files were released, but that if they were, investigators should examine Epstein’s circle — a list that, in his posts, included political opponents. “This is a Democrat hoax,” he said, repeating his view that the disclosures are politically motivated.

Reporting contributions: Bedayn in Denver; Associated Press writer Chris Megerian aboard Air Force One.