President Donald Trump has formally requested the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) investigate the alleged connections between deceased financier Jeffrey Epstein and several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.
The move, confirmed by Attorney General Pam Bondi who assigned the investigation to top Manhattan prosecutor Jay Clayton, comes just two days after a congressional committee released documents that reignited scrutiny of Trump’s own past relationship with Epstein.
Key Targets of Trump’s Request
Trump is urging the federal investigation to focus on:
- Former President Bill Clinton (who socialized with Epstein in the early 2000s).
- Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
- LinkedIn founder and prominent Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.
- US bank JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), which was Epstein’s client for 15 years.
All three men were named in the 20,000 Epstein-related documents released by the House Oversight Committee.
Trump’s Defense and Democratic Focus
The request is viewed by critics as an attempt to divert attention from his own involvement in the scandal. Trump addressed the issue 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!”
The President and Epstein were friends in the 1990s and 2000s, but Trump claims he severed ties before Epstein’s 2008 conviction. Despite this, some of his supporters have accused his administration of a cover-up surrounding Epstein’s death.
Congressional and Corporate Fallout
- JPMorgan: The bank stated it regrets its past association with Epstein, who was a client until 2013, and denied helping him commit “heinous acts.” (JPMorgan paid $290 million in 2023 to settle victims’ accusations of ignoring red flags.)
- House Vote: The Republican-controlled House is scheduled to vote next week on legislation that would force the DOJ to release all material it holds on Epstein.
- Political Impact: Polling shows only four in ten Republicans approved of Trump’s handling of the Epstein files, indicating dissatisfaction among his own base.
