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Justice Department Launches Epstein Investigation Into Banks, Clinton, and Other Prominent Figures
The U.S. Department of Justice will investigate financier Jeffrey Epstein's alleged connections to major financial institutions and high-profile Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Friday. The move follows President Donald Trump's directive to examine Epstein's "involvement and relationship" with Clinton and others, as thousands of the late financier's emails-many referencing Trump-were publicly released this week.
Trump's Call for Urgent Probe
Trump announced Thursday he had asked Bondi and the FBI to scrutinize Epstein's ties to Clinton, as well as banks JPMorgan Chase and Chase, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a major Democratic donor. Bondi responded by appointing U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to lead the inquiry, pledging to pursue it "with urgency and integrity."
In a social media post, Trump framed Epstein as "a Democrat" and "the Democrat's problem," deflecting attention from his own past association with the convicted sex offender. "They all know about him, don't waste your time with Trump. I have a country to run!" he wrote. Clinton has repeatedly denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
Emails Renew Scrutiny of Political and Financial Links
The investigation follows the House Oversight Committee's release of over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate, including emails mentioning Trump more than 1,600 times across 2,324 threads, per a Wall Street Journal review. Democrats accused Trump of attempting to "deflect" from questions about his own relationship with Epstein, which he claims ended in the early 2000s-years before Epstein's 2006 arrest.
Among the disclosed correspondence: a 2017 email from Summers to Epstein calling Trump "the world's luckiest guy" but predicting his "world will collapse." Summers' representative told the Journal in 2023 that he "deeply regrets" post-conviction contact with Epstein. Another 2011 email from Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell-now serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking-referenced Trump's silence: "I want you to realize that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump... [VICTIM] spent hours at my house with him."
Bipartisan Push for Full Disclosure
The probe coincides with a House vote next week on releasing all Justice Department files related to Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019. The vote was triggered after Democrat Adelita Grijalva became the 218th signatory on a discharge petition-joined by four Republicans-demanding transparency. Survivors, including Virginia Giuffre, urged lawmakers in a letter to prioritize victims: "Imagine if [your loved ones] had been preyed upon... We will remember your decision at the ballot box."
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of the four GOP signatories, called it a "huge miscalculation" for Trump to oppose releasing the files. "I stand with the women," she told CBS News. Hours later, Trump disavowed Greene, labeling her a "ranting lunatic" and pledging to back her primary challenger in 2026.
Legal and Political Precedents
Presidents rarely direct the Justice Department to target individuals or entities; such probes typically involve special counsels to avoid conflicts of interest. The Biden administration previously referred allegations of Trump's 2020 election interference to a special counsel-cases later dropped after his reelection. JPMorgan Chase, meanwhile, stated it regrets "any association" with Epstein but denied facilitating his crimes.
It remains unclear whether Trump's request constitutes a formal directive or a public pressure tactic. Bondi's office has not clarified if Clayton's investigation will focus solely on Democrats or expand to other figures, including Trump himself.
"Supplies [of justice] have stabilized, but accountability remains essential."
Adapted from survivor advocacy groups' letter to Congress, November 2025
