Trump directs DOJ inquiry into Epstein’s relationship with his political foes


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Summary

Trump directs investigation into opponents

President Donald Trump called on Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s relationships with his political opponents.

Inquiry follows public scrutiny

Trump’s directive follows nearly 48 hours of scrutiny he faced for appearing in Epstein’s email messages.

Epstein says Trump ‘knew about the girls’

Epstein alleged in a 2019 email to a journalist that Trump was aware of the girls Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell took.


Full story

Nearly 48 hours after the House Oversight Committee’s majority and minority parties’ disclosures regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, President Donald Trump directed his Justice Department to investigate ties to former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and others. His move comes 10 months after he declared he would end the “weaponization of the federal government” against political opponents.

Trump made the announcement on Truth Social after he grew frustrated over how Democrats were responding to a selective release of emails from Epstein’s estate. He accused the party of trying to “deflect from their disastrous SHUTDOWN, and all of their other failures.”

“I will be asking A.G. Pam Bondi, and the Department of Justice,” he wrote, “together with our great patriots at the FBI, to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and many other people and institutions, to determine what was going on with them, and him.”

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Clinton’s name appeared in the files numerous times, with some emails containing whole articles or books mentioning his name, court cases and Epstein expressing supposed frustration over questions about Clinton’s conduct. 

“People could showcase the lack of her credibility as in the story she details a dinner with Clinton on my island down to where he was sitting howver it never ever happened CLINTON was never on the island the story, heli is all a total fiction,” Epstein allegedly wrote. 

No information was available on who the woman Epstein is referring to is.

Epstein died in his New York City jail cell in 2019 in what authorities called an apparent suicide.

Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman wrote on X that Trump’s move was an “obvious ploy” to avoid releasing files, which the House of Representatives is expected to vote on next week. He urged the Justice Department to release all files to show who had deep, ongoing relationships with Epstein.

He vowed to advocate for the survivors in calling for the files’ release.

“I refuse to bend the knee to Donald Trump and his slanderous lies,” Hoffman wrote. 

Bondi confirmed on X she appointed Jay Clayton to lead the investigation. He was appointed in August as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York after Danielle Sassoon resigned in the spring over how the Justice Department was handling the sweeping corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Her comments are in stark contrast from what the Justice Department and FBI said in July about no further investigations being warranted following a review of Epstein’s suicide death and related files. 

“There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,” the departments said in the joint memo. “We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

Democrats, Trump foes’ target of investigation

According to Trump, the Justice Department is opening an investigation into Clinton, Summers, Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan Chase and “many other people and institutions.” It’s unclear how wide the investigation could span. 

Epstein banked with JPMorgan Chase and often brought the bank wealthy clients, Axios reported. The bank settled a lawsuit in 2023 with the U.S. Virgin Islands that concerned allegations it assisted and benefited from Epstein’s crimes. 

Trish Wexler, spokesperson for the bank, told Axios in an email that they regret any association the bank had with Epstein but “did not help him commit his heinous acts.” She noted the bank ended its relationship with the financier years before his sex trafficking arrest. 

“The government had damning information about his crimes and failed to share it with us or other banks,” she wrote.

Hoffman, who co-founded professional networking website LinkedIn, wrote on X Friday night that Trump should release all files to help bring justice for victims. 

“I want this complete release because it will show that the calls for baseless investigations of me are nothing more than political persecution and slander,” he wrote. “I was never a client of Epstein’s and never had any engagement with him other than fundraising for MIT.”

Cole Lauterbach and Cassandra Buchman contributed to this report.
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Why this story matters

The story highlights President Donald Trump's directive to the Justice Department for an investigation into associates and institutions linked to Jeffrey Epstein, raising issues of political motivations, transparency and the handling of high-profile criminal allegations.

Political investigations

Examining prominent political and business figures with alleged connections to Epstein sparks debate on the use of investigations for political objectives and the implications for governmental impartiality.

Transparency and accountability

Calls from multiple parties for the release of all Epstein files underscore ongoing public demands for openness, transparency, and thorough accountability regarding high-profile criminal cases and systemic failures.

Public trust in institutions

Varied responses from government agencies and affected individuals reflect concerns about trust in the justice system and highlight differing perspectives on the adequacy and motivation behind current and past investigations.

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Community reaction

Democrats and some legal experts criticized the move as politicized with concerns about DOJ independence, while selected Republican officials and conservative outlets supported the investigation as a necessary response to unanswered questions around Epstein's networks.

Diverging views

Articles with a left perspective stress concerns about politicization and the lack of allegations against those targeted by Trump, while right-leaning sources focus on highlighting Democratic figures’ connections to Epstein and support the investigation as warranted.

History lesson

Efforts to investigate the social and financial networks around Epstein have remained contentious, with prior probes resulting in limited charges against associates and ongoing legal and political disputes about transparency and release of documents.

SAN provides
Unbiased. Straight Facts.

Don’t just take our word for it.


Certified balanced reporting

According to media bias experts at AllSides

AllSides Certified Balanced May 2025

Transparent and credible

Awarded a perfect reliability rating from NewsGuard

100/100

Welcome back to trustworthy journalism.

Find out more

Bias comparison

  • Media outlets on the left frames this as President Donald Trump "demanding" or "ordering" Bondi to "target Dems," employing a critical tone and highlighting Jeffrey Epstein's claim Trump "knew about the girls" to underscore a diversionary motive.
  • Media outlets in the center use neutral terms like "request" or "urging," focusing on procedural details such as Jay Clayton leading the probe, and broadly noting Trump's aim to "shift the focus" without specific, damning quotes.
  • Not enough unique coverage from media outlets on the right to provide a bias comparison.

Media landscape

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107 total sources

Key points from the Left

  • U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein's ties to political figures like Bill Clinton following Trump's demand.
  • Bondi assigned Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to lead the probe, emphasizing its urgency and integrity.
  • Trump claimed Democrats are leveraging Epstein's case to deflect from their own issues, seeking a broader investigation into multiple political figures and entities.
  • Clinton and Trump have not been accused of wrongdoing regarding Epstein by any of his victims, as clarified by their representatives.

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Key points from the Center

  • On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice would open a new investigation after President Donald Trump ordered her on social media, and she responded before the end of the day.
  • On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee released 20,000 Epstein-related documents, and Democrats disclosed emails showing Epstein said President Donald Trump knew about the girls.
  • On X, Pam Bondi wrote that Jay Clayton would lead and the Department of Justice said it would pursue the matter with urgency and integrity, while journalists cautioned open inquiries can hinder ongoing cases.
  • None of the people named have been accused of wrongdoing. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton's office said he knew nothing of Epstein's crimes, while Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman expressed regret about past ties.
  • President Donald Trump said he would ask A.G. Pam Bondi and the DOJ to investigate Epstein's ties to Clinton, Summers, Hoffman and J.P. Morgan, calling it an "Epstein Hoax."

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Key points from the Right

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an investigation into relationships linked to Jeffrey Epstein, as initiated by President Donald Trump.
  • Records indicate Trump and others spent significant time with Epstein, but Democrats redacted a victim's name in leaked emails.
  • Trump called the investigation a "scam" and urged for inquiries into connections between Epstein and several prominent figures.

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