Hillary and Bill Clinton were summoned for questioning in the Epstein case. What the media is writing
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- Hillary and Bill Clinton were summoned for questioning in the Epstein case. What the media is writing
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary have been summoned to Congress to testify in the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein. At the same time, new letters and photographs were published from his home, where he is believed to have committed his crimes. Meanwhile, the Donald Trump administration is trying to figure out how to end this scandal. What the media write about the new developments in the Epstein case is in the Izvestia digest.
Associated Press: Congress issued subpoenas to the Clintons as part of the Epstein investigation
The Oversight Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives issued subpoenas to the Justice Department to obtain documents on the Jeffrey Epstein case, and also requested testimony from former President Bill Clinton, his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and eight former high-profile law enforcement officials. This is part of an investigation that lawmakers believe could reveal links between Epstein and former senior figures, including President Donald Trump. The Committee continues to actively pursue this matter, despite a one-month break in the work of the congress.
Associated Press
One of Epstein's victims, Virginia Jeffre, once gave an interview to a newspaper in which she described how she flew in a helicopter with Clinton and flirted with Trump, but she later stated in testimony that these events did not actually happen, and these were mistakes by a reporter. Clinton had previously stated through his representative that although he had flown on Epstein's plane, he had never visited his home and was unaware of his crimes.
After Epstein's death in 2019 in prison, where he was awaiting trial on human trafficking charges, conservative conspiracy theorists began spreading rumors about what data had been collected by investigators. The Oversight Committee issued subpoenas and demanded to see all communications between the Joe Biden administration and the Department of Justice regarding Epstein. Clinton, who knew Epstein, was never accused by the women who said they were victims of his crimes, although several witnesses claimed to have seen him on Epstein's private jets.
Axios: the former prosecutor in the Epstein case did not receive a summons
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta was not among those summoned by the House Oversight Committee as part of the Epstein investigation. Acosta, as a federal prosecutor in 2008, approved a controversial no-charges agreement that allowed Epstein to avoid a lengthy prison sentence and ended a federal investigation into human trafficking.
Axios
"The goal was obvious,— Acosta said in 2019. "Putting Epstein behind bars, making sure he's registered as a sex offender, giving victims the opportunity to claim damages, and protecting the public by making them aware of the presence of a sexual predator among them." However, he resigned as Secretary of Labor in 2019 when public outrage began to distract attention from the work of the Trump administration.
The refusal to issue a summons surprised many journalists and observers of the investigation. Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, who was Acosta's boss in South Florida, where he was a prosecutor, was included in the list of those summoned for questioning. In 2008, Acosta, who served as a prosecutor, approved a deal that allowed Epstein to avoid a life sentence and be released from prison after 13 months. Acosta continues to defend his decision, saying that his goal was to ensure punishment for Epstein and compensation for victims.
The Guardian: the scandal surrounding Epstein grows after the publication of a series of letters
Jeffrey Epstein's case has attracted attention again after previously unknown letters to him from influential people were published, as well as photos of his home in Manhattan. The letters were collected in 2016 as a gift for Epstein's 63rd birthday, and were sent to him by famous figures such as film director Woody Allen.
The Guardian
In one of the letters, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and his wife wrote: "There is no limit to your curiosity." "You're like a closed book to many of them, but you know everything about everyone," they wrote, describing Epstein as a "collector of people." They continued, "May you enjoy a long and healthy life, and may all of us, your friends, enjoy your table for many more years."
Photos from Epstein's home have also been published, including pictures in his office showing a stuffed tiger and a copy of the first edition of the Lolita book. In the bedroom and "massage room", where, according to the victims, Epstein committed crimes, paintings of naked women are depicted, shelves with lubricants are visible in the photo. Many photographs of Epstein with famous personalities, including Pope John Paul II, Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton, were also found in the house. In one of the frames was a dollar with Bill Gates' signature and the words "I was wrong!"— possibly as payment for a bet.
Reuters: Epstein's partner opposes publication of materials
Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend who was convicted in 2021 for aiding and abetting his sexual crimes against teenage girls, said she opposes the publication of grand jury materials in her case, citing the possible negative impact on her possible sentencing. Trump last month instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to request the disclosure of grand jury materials in the Epstein and Maxwell case. He tried to calm the discontent of his electoral base and the Democratic part of Congress about the processing of documents on these cases by his administration.
Reuters
"The reputational loss from publishing incomplete, potentially misleading grand jury testimony that has not been cross—examined will be severe and irreversible," her lawyers wrote.
Trump promised to disclose all materials related to the Epstein case if he was re-elected, and accused the Democrats of hiding the truth. However, in July, the Justice Department announced that Epstein's alleged client list did not exist, which caused outrage among Trump supporters. In turn, the lawyer for the victim, Annie Farmer, who testified at the Maxwell trial, noted that the publication of the materials could reveal details about the people who helped in Epstein's abuse.
CNN: Trump officials will gather for dinner at Vance's to discuss the scandal
Trump administration officials will gather for dinner at Vice President Jay Dee Vance's residence to discuss possible disclosure of the recording and transcript of Maxwell's recent interrogation. Among the participants in the meeting were Chief White House Staff Member Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Cash Patel, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who conducted the interrogation.
CNN
One of the officials said that part of the conversations at the White House focused on the question of whether the publication of the details of the interrogation would lead to a revival of the scandal surrounding Epstein. Many officials close to Trump believe that this topic has largely faded into the background.
The meeting will be devoted to discussing disclosure strategies in the Epstein case, in particular, the possible release of materials collected during the interrogation of Maxwell, which lasted two days. Over the past month, the possibility of holding a press conference for Blanche or an interview with famous podcaster Joe Rogan has been discussed, but these plans are still in the preliminary talks stage. There is also an ongoing debate in the administration about whether to publish these materials, given the possible resurgence of discussion of the scandal and the consequences for political reputation.
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