Attorney General Discloses Investigation into Trump Rivals and Epstein Ties
On Friday, Pam Bondi appointed interim US attorney Jay Clayton to head an investigation into opponents of the President and their relationships with the late financier. This decision came hours after Trump directed her to begin the investigation.
In a statement, Bondi highlighted Clayton as “among the nation’s top prosecutors”. She stated, “This case will be addressed with speed and honesty to ensure public transparency.”
This development seems to diverge from a July memo from federal authorities which declared that the Epstein files did not warrant further inquiries. As per the document, investigators “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”
Trump Demands Scrutiny of Democrats in Epstein Case
The announcement coincides with growing pressure from the president on lawmakers to resist the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision in the coming days. Many Republicans are expected to support the disclosure.
Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have highlighted Trump’s previous connections with the convicted criminal, including information that he knew more about Epstein’s conduct than he has previously let on.
On Friday, Trump declared he would direct the Department of Justice to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. Paradoxically, he also described the “Epstein situation” as a “deception”.
Additional Updates from the Day
- Trump stated he would file a lawsuit against the BBC, even after an apology from the network. Trump claimed the legal case could seek between a billion and $5bn.
- Epstein reportedly advised Steve Bannon during a pro-Trump effort to support the president’s agenda. Communications made public detail his role in coaching Bannon.
- American forces are planning for a divided Gaza, with a “green zone” under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
- Georgia prosecutor have revived the sole ongoing legal case against the President after naming a replacement attorney.
- Trump changed trade measures by cutting taxes on imported goods like various food items to address inflation concerns.
- The two nations reached a deal to lower tariffs on products from Switzerland from 39% to 15%.
Additional developments included calls to protect national parks, objections of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a resolution in the OxyContin case.