President Donald Trump announced he would direct Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's connections to various prominent figures and institutions. Trump stated this directive via a Truth Social post, asserting that Democrats are attempting to shift attention from their failures by leveraging the Epstein case.
He specifically named Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and J.P. Morgan Chase as individuals and entities he wants investigated.
This action by Trump is seen as a significant effort to counter ongoing attempts by Democrats and some Republicans to release sealed Epstein case files and to deflect scrutiny from his own past association with Epstein. Earlier in the week, Trump had urged Republicans to block a discharge petition that would force a vote on releasing these files.
Despite this, House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated he would schedule the vote for the following week, with expectations of considerable support. Trump expressed frustration on Truth Social, labeling Republicans who support the file release as "soft and foolish" and repeatedly calling the entire matter a "Hoax" and a "Russia, Russia, Russia Scam" orchestrated by Democrats.
The Justice Department has not yet responded to a request for comment. JPMorgan Chase stated they ended their relationship with Epstein years before his arrest and that they regret any association, but did not facilitate his crimes, noting the government had information it did not share.
