Bondi Announces Inquiry into Trump Opponents and Jeffrey Epstein Links
On Friday, the Attorney General designated interim US attorney Jay Clayton to oversee an inquiry into opponents of Donald Trump and their relationships with the late financier. This action came shortly after Trump instructed her to begin the probe.
During an announcement, Bondi praised Jay Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. The official added, “As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”
This development appears to contradict a July memo from federal authorities which indicated that documents related to Epstein lacked grounds for additional investigations. As per the memo, authorities “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”
The President Demands Scrutiny of Democrats in Epstein Case
This news comes as growing pressure from Trump on lawmakers to resist the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an upcoming House vote in the coming days. Many Republicans are expected to back the disclosure.
Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have brought attention to the president’s past involvement with the convicted criminal, revealing information that his knowledge of Epstein’s behavior exceeded prior admissions.
That same day, Trump declared he would ask the Department of Justice to examine Epstein’s ties with Democrats, specifically naming prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Interestingly, Trump also referred to the “Epstein hoax” as a “scam”.
Other Updates from the Day
- Trump stated he would file a lawsuit against the British broadcaster, even after a formal apology from the network. He claimed the legal case could seek billions in damages.
- Epstein allegedly advised former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to support the president’s agenda. Text messages made public show his role in coaching Bannon.
- American forces are developing plans for a divided Gaza, with a secure area under joint military oversight and a restricted section left in ruins.
- Georgia prosecutor have reopened the sole ongoing legal case against Trump after naming a new lead prosecutor.
- The President changed trade measures by reducing taxes on imported goods like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to combat rising costs.
- US and Switzerland concluded a trade agreement to reduce tariffs on products from Switzerland from 39% to 15%.
Additional developments featured calls to protect national parks, criticism of an monitoring group, and a judge’s decision for a resolution in the OxyContin lawsuit.