The U.S. Justice Department announced Friday that it will act on President Donald Trump’s request to investigate alleged ties between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and former Democratic President Bill Clinton, as well as JPMorgan (JPM.N), a bank where Epstein held accounts. The move comes shortly after a congressional committee released thousands of documents shedding light on Trump’s own past interactions with Epstein, signaling the latest effort by Trump to shift scrutiny away from himself and toward political rivals.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Jay Clayton, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, will lead the investigation. This decision adds another layer to the ongoing political and legal fallout surrounding Epstein, whose death by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 has continued to fuel public and political debate. Many Trump supporters believe that details surrounding Epstein’s activities and connections have been obscured, including alleged ties to powerful figures, and some view Trump’s actions as an effort to address these perceived gaps.
Alongside Clinton, Trump indicated he requested the Justice Department to examine former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, both prominent Democratic donors. All three individuals were referenced in the approximately 20,000 documents released by the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Trump wrote on social media, “Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem! They all know about him, don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to run!”
JPMorgan issued a statement expressing regret over its prior association with Epstein, noting that he was a client from 1998 to 2013, but stressing that the bank did not assist him in committing any “heinous acts.” Clinton and Summers did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Hoffman could not be reached.
