Former Epstein lawyer calls for release of additional materials
In an interview on Fox News Sunday, Alan Dershowitz said the grand jury transcripts that Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday asked a federal judge to unseal would not contain the types of information being sought by President Donald Trump's supporters, such as the names of Epstein's clientele.
"I think the judge should release it, but they are not in the grand jury transcripts," Dershowitz said on Fox. "I've seen some of these materials. For example, there is an FBI report of interviews with alleged victims in which at least one of the victims names very important people," he said, adding that those names have been redacted.
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U.S. President Donald Trump threatened earlier in July to hit nations with a 100% tariff if they continued purchasing Russian crude. Belousov and Singh shake hands before a group photo session for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Defense Ministers' Meeting in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, on June 26. | REUTERS The U.S. Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, according to three sanctions lawyers. HMX is known as a "high explosive," meaning it detonates rapidly and is designed for maximum destruction. There is no indication that the HMX shipments violated Indian government policy. One Indian official with knowledge of the shipments said that the compound has some limited civilian applications, in addition to its better-known military uses. India's foreign ministry said in a statement, "India has been carrying out exports of dual-use items taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation, and based on its robust legal and regulatory framework that includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria on such exports." The U.S. State Department did not comment on the specific shipments identified but said it had repeatedly communicated to India that companies doing military-related business are at risk of sanctions. "India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in full and frank dialogue, including on India's relationship with Russia," a spokesperson said. "We have repeatedly made clear to all our partners, including India, that any foreign company or financial institution that does business with Russia's military industrial base are at risk of U.S. sanctions." 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One shipment, worth $405,200, was purchased by a Russian company called High Technology Initiation Systems, or HTIS, the data showed. The other shipment, worth more than $1 million was purchased by Promsintez. Both purchasers are based in Samara Oblast, near the border of Kazakhstan in southern Russia, according to the data. HTIS says on its website it produces explosives for surface and underground mining and engineering projects. It describes itself there as a subsidiary of Madrid-based Maxam, which in turn is majority-controlled by Rhone Capital, a New York-headquartered private equity firm set up by former Goldman Sachs and Lazard bankers. A source familiar with Maxam's operations said the company is in the process of divesting its Russian subsidiaries and that HTIS operates independently. Ideal Detonators Private Limited, based in the Indian state of Telangana, did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Promsintez, HTIS and Maxam. Rhone Capital declined to comment. While several Indian entities were sanctioned during the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden for supporting Russia's war effort, sanctions were applied sparingly due to geopolitical considerations, according to two U.S. officials who worked on sanctions under Biden. Under Trump, Russia-related sanctions work has slowed to a trickle, and it is not clear if the United States will take further action against Indian companies doing business with Russia's defense industry. Washington has long sought closer relations with India to pull the South Asian country away from China. Jason Prince, a partner at Washington-based law firm Akin, said the U.S. government often prefers to communicate its concerns privately to allies and only take punitive actions as a last resort.
