WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Friday (Nov 14) that he has asked the Justice Department to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged links to JPMorgan and several prominent Democratic figures, including former president Bill Clinton.
The request came after a congressional committee released thousands of pages of documents that renewed scrutiny of Trump’s past relationship with Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019.
“Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem,” Trump wrote on social media. “They all know about him, do not waste your time with Trump. I have a country to run.”
JPMorgan said in a statement that it regretted any past association with Epstein but denied helping him commit crimes. Clinton and former treasury secretary Larry Summers did not immediately comment. Democratic donor and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman could not be reached.
TRUMP DENIES KNOWING OF EPSTEIN’S ABUSE
Trump and Epstein socialised during the 1990s and 2000s, but Trump says he cut ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction. He has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s abuse or sex trafficking of underage girls.
The release of additional documents is politically sensitive for Trump as he begins his second term. Court filings have highlighted longstanding social connections between the two men, though no evidence has emerged that Trump knew about Epstein’s crimes.
JPMorgan paid US$290 million in 2023 to settle claims that it turned a blind eye to Epstein’s trafficking. The bank admitted no wrongdoing.
Source: CNA
