What to know
- The Justice Department and FBI concluded that Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a blackmail client list, and authorities found no evidence of foul play in his jail cell suicide.
- Ghislaine Maxwell received a 20-year sentence for conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors; key accuser Virginia Giuffre reportedly died by suicide.
- Despite public claims and political pressure, federal officials said no more Epstein-related documents would be released.
By Robin Bradshaw
Source Midland Daily News, Mich.
In the latest twist of Jeffrey Epstein's files, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation have concluded that, after years of investigation and partially released documents, Epstein did not keep a client list to blackmail influential figures, and there is no evidence that he was murdered in his prison cell.
Epstein, along with socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was charged with sexual abuse of minors. The two allegedly lured minors for sex for Epstein's powerful, wealthy friends, according to victims such as Virginia Giuffre, who committed suicide earlier this year. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse minors. Epstein was found in a New York cell, where jail officials claimed he committed suicide while awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges.
Why does this matter?
Critics of President Donald Trump have long accused him of being all over the Epstein files, as multiple photos suggest the two were close friends and spent many occasions together.
Top Trump allies and now key figures in his administration, FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, were among those aligned with Trump's political base who questioned the official version of how Epstein died, Axios first reported on Sunday.
Additionally, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated during an interview on FOX that the Epstein client list was on her desk, and the public would be able to see the files.
During a press conference on Monday, a Fox News reporter, Peter Doocy, asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to explain why the administration claims that there is no Jeffrey Epstein client list despite previously stating that there was.
Leavitt stated Bondi meant all of Epstein's paperwork in its entirety, not the client list.
The Department of Justice on Monday concluded that no more information will be released to the public.
"To that end, while we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government's possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted," a portion of the memo reads.
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