Attorney General Announces Inquiry into Trump Opponents and Epstein Connections
This past Friday, the Attorney General assigned interim US attorney Jay Clayton to lead an probe into opponents of Donald Trump and their relationships with Jeffrey Epstein. This move came shortly after Trump instructed her to begin the investigation.
In a statement, Bondi highlighted Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. She remarked, “This case will be addressed with speed and honesty to ensure public transparency.”
This action appears to contradict a July memo from justice department officials which declared that documents related to Epstein lacked grounds for additional investigations. According to the memo, authorities “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties”
The President Calls for Focus on Democrats in Epstein Case
The announcement coincides with growing demands from Trump on congressional Republicans to oppose the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an upcoming House vote in the coming days. Many Republicans are expected to support the disclosure.
Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have spotlighted Trump’s past involvement with the sex trafficker, including details that his knowledge of Epstein’s behavior exceeded prior admissions.
On Friday, Trump declared he would direct the DOJ to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, including Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. Paradoxically, he also described the “Epstein situation” as a “scam”.
Additional Developments from the Day
- Trump stated he would file a lawsuit against the BBC, even after a formal apology from the network. Trump said the lawsuit could seek between a billion and $5bn.
- Epstein allegedly advised former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend the president’s agenda. Communications released detail his involvement in advising Bannon.
- US military are developing plans for a partitioned Gaza, with a “green zone” under international and Israeli control and a restricted section left in ruins.
- Georgia prosecutor have reopened the last remaining criminal case against Trump after naming a new lead prosecutor.
- The President changed trade measures by cutting taxes on imported goods like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to address inflation concerns.
- US and Switzerland reached a trade agreement to reduce import taxes on Swiss goods from a significant decrease.
Other notable events featured calls to safeguard public lands, objections of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a resolution in the Purdue Pharma lawsuit.