President Donald Trump on November 14, 2025, directed the Justice Department to investigate Jeffrey Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, as well as banking giant JPMorgan Chase, in a move aimed at deflecting mounting scrutiny over his own past association with the convicted sex offender. In a Truth Social post, Trump labelled Epstein a "Democrat" and insisted the scandal was "the Democrats' problem", urging Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to probe their relationships, claiming they spent significant time with Epstein, including on his private island. The order came amid the release of over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate by the House Oversight Committee on November 12, which included emails referencing Trump—such as one from 2011 suggesting he "knew about the girls" and spent hours with victim Virginia Giuffre, who later cleared him of wrongdoing before her suicide in April 2025. Bondi promptly appointed Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, a former Trump-era SEC chair and political independent, to lead the effort, vowing to pursue it "with urgency and integrity".
The directive follows weeks of political pressure on Trump, exacerbated by the Epstein saga's resurgence after congressional Democrats highlighted emails mentioning the president, prompting accusations of a cover-up among his MAGA base. Trump, who socialised with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s before severing ties around 2008 amid the financier's Florida plea deal on prostitution charges, has repeatedly denied knowledge of the abuses and branded the revelations a "Democrat hoax" timed to overshadow his recent resolution of the longest U.S. government shutdown. Epstein, arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls supplied to powerful men, died by suicide in a Manhattan jail before trial, fuelling conspiracy theories that Trump himself amplified during his campaign. A July Justice Department memo had concluded no evidence warranted probing uncharged third parties and debunked a purported "client list", drawing backlash from Trump's supporters who expected full transparency—a promise echoed by allies like FBI Director Kash Patel.
Responses from those targeted were swift and dismissive. A Clinton spokesperson stated the emails "prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing," attributing the probe to distractions from Democratic "election losses" and the shutdown fallout; Clinton, who flew on Epstein's jet for foundation work but denied island visits or knowledge of crimes, faced a House subpoena in August for testimony.
Hoffman, a major Democratic donor, demanded full file releases on X to expose "baseless investigations" as "political persecution", clarifying his Epstein contacts were limited to MIT fundraising. JPMorgan, Epstein's client from 1998 to 2013, reiterated regret over the association and its $290 million 2023 settlement with victims, insisting it ignored no red flags about his "heinous acts". Summers, who received Epstein philanthropy during his Harvard presidency, did not comment.
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Legal experts decried the move as a threat to judicial independence, with former prosecutor Patrick J. Cotter calling it "outrageously inappropriate" and warning of potential dismissals for "vindictive prosecution"—a claim raised in Trump's prior DOJ-directed cases against figures like ex-FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James. The probe risks politicising the Epstein case further, especially as the Republican-led House prepares a vote next week on forcing the Justice Department to release all remaining files—a measure backed by MAGA rebels despite Speaker Mike Johnson's resistance and Trump's dismissal: "Don't waste your time with Trump. I have a country to run!" An October Reuters/Ipsos poll showed only 40% of Republicans approving Trump's Epstein handling, far below his 90% overall rating, highlighting base fractures.
The Epstein scandal, ensnaring elites across aisles—from Britain's Prince Andrew to philanthropists—continues to erode public trust, with no credible evidence yet implicating Clinton, Summers, or Hoffman in the trafficking ring. As the investigation launches, it underscores Trump's pattern of weaponising federal agencies against foes, potentially complicating bipartisan efforts and reigniting demands for systemic reforms to shield probes from executive overreach. While symbolic of accountability calls, sceptics on X and beyond view it as deflection, with users like @RonFilipkowski questioning Trump's motives amid the files' revelations. The outcome could reshape narratives ahead of midterms, testing whether justice prevails over partisanship in unravelling one of modern history's darkest elite networks.
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