The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recently declined to disclose the identities of two individuals associated with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who received significant sums of money from him shortly before his 2019 arrest. According to court documents, Epstein transferred $100,000 to one associate and $250,000 to another in late 2018. Both recipients were protected under Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement.
One of the recipients played a significant role in the Miami Herald's investigation into Epstein's lenient deal, as stated by prosecutors. The second recipient, as described in Epstein's indictment, was an employee involved in recruiting and arranging meetings for victims at Epstein's residences in Palm Beach and Manhattan. Prosecutors suggest that the timing of these payments indicates Epstein's attempt to sway potential co-conspirators who could testify against him.
NBC News petitioned U.S. District Judge Richard Berman for the release of the names, arguing that since Epstein is deceased and no further charges are anticipated, there is no reason to withhold this information. However, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton refused the request, citing the privacy rights of these "uncharged third parties."
The controversy has reignited public and media interest in Epstein's network, raising questions about his connections, including those to President Donald Trump. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently claimed Trump acted as an "FBI informant" concerning Epstein's activities, stating that Trump expelled Epstein from Mar-a-Lago upon hearing rumors and cooperated with the FBI to address the misconduct.
Despite these claims, Trump has described the Epstein scandal as a "Democrat hoax," emphasizing the evil nature of the crimes but criticizing Democrats for leveraging the issue against him. Critics often reference a 2000 photograph of Trump with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Mar-a-Lago.
On the campaign trail, Trump had vowed to release files related to Epstein. However, a DOJ ruling in July concluded that Epstein had died by suicide, and no evidence of blackmail or a client list was found credible. This decision has caused frustration among Trump's supporters, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rep. Thomas Massie, who are now pushing for legislation to compel the DOJ to release all related files. Massie reported that the bill is close to the number of supporters required to trigger a vote, and both Greene and Massie have committed to disclosing the names on the House floor.
In response to the growing discontent, Trump posted on Truth Social last month, urging his followers to focus on the MAGA movement rather than Epstein, whom he described as "somebody nobody cares about."
Adding fuel to the fire, James O'Keefe of Project Veritas released undercover footage of a DOJ Deputy Chief discussing the redaction of names to protect certain individuals and alleged deals with Ghislaine Maxwell. This has sparked further allegations of a cover-up.
