Latest news with #Epstein-related
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘I cry when I hear his name': Epstein victim breaks down on cam, drops bombshell on Jeffrey, Maxwell
In a press conference held at attorney Gloria Allred's Los Angeles office, Alicia Arden, one of the first known victims to file a police report against Jeffrey Epstein, broke her silence and called on the US government to release all Epstein-related investigation files. Show more Show less
Channel 4
3 days ago
- Business
- Channel 4
Epstein scandal looms over Washington DC
I land in Washington DC with the capital engulfed in the Epstein saga. The years-long scandal has inflamed again over the summer and President Trump, who is the master of the media blizzard, can't seem to move on from it. The questions about his ties to the convicted sex offender won't go away. And unhelpfully for the president, many of the loudest voices calling for the release of the 'Epstein files' are from within his loyal base (egged on in the years before the election by none other than Donald Trump Jr and now Vice President JD Vance). But this week the story moves in the direction of another president: Former President Bill Clinton. He's been subpoenaed, along with Hillary Clinton, to give testimony on his links to Epstein. President Clinton is on record saying he regrets ever meeting Epstein and never visited his notorious private island and had no knowledge of his crimes. So has the Republican-led committee that issued the subpoenas just done President Trump a huge favour, drawing the Clintons and the Democrats into the saga? Possibly not, the same committee is also demanding the release of more Epstein-related documents from the Department of Justice, a reminder that plenty among the MAGA base believe they were promised far more transparency on Epstein from this president. I'm no stranger to the US beat, having been back and forth several times over the years, often in the summer months. My first impression this time is that the inflation that dominated the election cycle is very real. Prices are high, and so are the stakes for President Trump. He was elected to fix the Biden economy and consumer patience may well be running thin. It's August, but for the Trump White House, there's no time for silly season. Not in your first year of re-election. Sidebar: Joe Biden's numbers tanked during the Afghanistan debacle of his first August in power and never recovered. So while the Epstein issue has the social media algorithms in overdrive, Trump's second term will likely be defined by the state of the economy. To that end, Donald Trump has just fired a top official because he didn't like the latest stats on jobs added in the United States. Without evidence, he accused her of faking the stats to make him look bad and inflating them before the election to make Biden-Harris look good. The only problem? Biden's last jobs numbers before the election were actually worse than Trump's now. This is all pretty revealing about the mindset of President Trump. He knows he won the election with a promise to 'make America affordable again.' Which takes us to tariffs. Another 25% just whacked on India for buying Russian oil. Make that 50% when you take into account hikes he'd already announced for a slew of countries taking effect this week. The economic wisdom is that tariffs, which of course are largely paid by US consumers, are inflationary. And yet President Trump is sticking with them. It's a big risk. Kamala Harris was punished for rocketing inflation in the Biden economy. Voters could see it with their own eyes and feel it in their own pockets. But the official numbers told the same story and Biden-Harris paid the price. And who posted those numbers? Only the stats chief President Trump just fired. Bill and Hillary Clinton subpoenaed in widening Epstein probe President Trump defends sacking of head of US labour stats bureau
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Democrats See Political Upside—and Risks—in Epstein Files
As Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna prepared to travel through South Carolina to rail against President Trump's agenda, he said a senior House aide pulled him aside to offer advice: 'Don't you go talking that Epstein down South. No one cares.' But Democrats who came to hear him speak at a town hall outside Charleston, S.C., did care. They interrupted Khanna with applause as he listed the names of House Republicans who backed his effort to force the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—one of several moments that the California lawmaker said caught him off guard. 'The Epstein stuff really struck a nerve with folks,' Khanna said. Highlighting the case is a 'concrete step at splitting the Trump coalition,' he said. The controversy over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein matter has roiled Trump's MAGA base while also creating a fresh line of attack for Democrats, as they try to drive turnout and win back swing voters in next year's midterms. Democrats are using their August break home with voters to decry Trump's 'big beautiful' tax law, charging that it cuts taxes for billionaires at the expense of healthcare for working people—and now are adding potentially risky Epstein-related attacks to the mix. 'The reality is that it's all connected,' said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.) when asked if the two messages worked together. He called both the tax plan and the Epstein case examples of Republicans protecting 'the lifestyles of the rich and shameless, even if that includes pedophiles.' Republicans have accused Democrats of playing politics on the issue, given that many largely ignored the Epstein issue previously. Rep. Tim Burchett (R., Tenn.), who supports releasing the Epstein files, said Monday that Democrats who mention Epstein back home risk getting called out for not acting decisively when they controlled Washington. 'The whole question goes, 'Well, why didn't you do anything for the last four years?' That seems to be the overriding sentiment in public,' he said. Trump allies have long sought the release of Epstein-related materials, but the Justice Department said in July there isn't a client list of high-profile people who participated in Epstein's trafficking of young girls, and new files wouldn't be released. That triggered an uproar among some of Trump's prominent supporters who believe that powerful elites are being protected by the administration's silence. Epstein died in 2019 in jail, and his death was ruled a suicide. The Justice Department then asked judges to unseal grand jury transcripts from the cases involving Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The department also dispatched a top DOJ official to interview Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. On Tuesday, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) said his panel issued a subpoena to Trump's Justice Department seeking records related to Epstein. Democrats say voters want to hear about Epstein. At a rally Friday morning in the Texas state Capitol, Democratic Rep. Greg Casar asked a fired-up audience: 'Are we going to let Donald Trump hide the Epstein files?' The crowd erupted: 'No!' Sen. Chris Murphy (D., Conn.) hit similar notes at a rally Sunday in Arizona. The audience booed when he asked if Trump had lowered prices, ended foreign conflicts or told the truth about releasing the Epstein files. Sen. Chris Murphy brought up the Epstein files at a political event Sunday as Rep. Jasmine Crockett looked on. It can be a delicate balance. That dynamic was on display Thursday night in Prairie du Chien, Wis., where Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan held a town-hall meeting in the neighboring district of a Republican colleague. In a response to one woman's question, Pocan cited Epstein as an example of where Trump is breaking promises. But six minutes later, a woman who was critical of Trump's divisive style asked Pocan for assurances that he won't use his national media appearances to 'just talk about Epstein or talk about the s— that we cannot control.' 'You'll notice how little I talk about Epstein,' he said in response. Polls show political opportunities for Democrats on both Epstein and the GOP tax-and-spending law. In a recent Wall Street Journal poll, nearly two-thirds of Republicans surveyed—and 89% of Democrats—said they believed the Justice Department was hiding important information from its Epstein investigation. The polls also showed 52% opposition to the GOP tax law, including 92% of Democrats, 10% of Republicans and 59% of independents. Republicans plan to defend their new law over the recess, emphasizing that it stopped tax rates from going up and introduces new breaks for tips, overtime and seniors—arguing it will jump-start the economy. The WSJ survey showed that approval of the Democratic Party was at its lowest level in decades. But on a separate question, voters preferred Democrats over Republicans on a generic congressional ballot by three points. Republicans currently have a 219-212 majority in the House, and a 53-47 edge in the Senate. Democratic leaders have endorsed discussing Epstein over recess, with advisers putting together a template for email and texts to voters, a ploy to juice their distribution lists by getting the attention of people who ignore messages about other political issues. 'It's Congress[wo/man] [NAME]. I joined every single House Democrat in demanding the release of the Epstein Files,' the template reads. 'The American people deserve the truth. Do you support releasing the Epstein Files? REPLY Y/N.' Democrats have also worked to keep the controversy in the headlines. On Thursday, Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) called on the Justice Department to investigate financial records, including what he said are thousands of wire transfers and more than $1 billion of transactions linked to Epstein. Khanna's measure, backed by Democrats and an eclectic group of Republicans including Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.), could get a vote when the House returns in September. 'For once, Democrats can go on offense on something that's in the cultural news,' said Andrew Mamo, a strategist who advises Democrats running for Senate. Write to Katy Stech Ferek at
Mint
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Trump Administration weighs releasing Ghislaine Maxwell's DOJ interview transcript: Report
The Justice Department has an audio recording of a recent interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, and the Trump administration is currently debating whether to release a transcript, CNN reported on Tuesday (August 5), citing three senior administration officials. Maxwell, a convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein, was interviewed last month by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche over a two-day period at the US Attorney's office in Tallahassee, Florida. 'A final decision has not been made,' one senior official told the news outlet, confirming that discussions were ongoing within both the White House and Justice Department. A few in the administration reportedly see the release as a way to take control of the narrative, especially after widespread criticism over how Epstein-related files have been handled. 'Many officials have been frustrated with the rollout of information,' one of the sources noted. 'They want to control the optics around the issue.' One official told CNN that the recording is currently being transcribed and digitized, but portions that could compromise sensitive details—such as victim names—would need to be redacted before any public release. 'The release could be several weeks from now,' another source said, explaining that the timeline depends on decisions made at the highest levels of the West Wing and DOJ. It remains unclear whether the White House and the Department of Justice are in full agreement on how to proceed. Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in federal prison for her role in grooming and sexually abusing underage girls with Epstein, has continued to appeal her conviction, including a petition before the Supreme Court. Last week, she was moved from a Florida federal prison to a lower-security prison camp in Texas—a rare development for someone convicted of sex crimes. The possible release of the Maxwell interview comes amid growing pressure from Trump's political base to demonstrate greater transparency regarding Epstein-related documents. The White House has maintained that the Justice Department should release all 'credible evidence' related to the case.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Bill and Hillary Clinton Subpoenaed Over Epstein Files: Live Updates
The House Oversight Committee has issued sweeping subpoenas in its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, demanding testimony from former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and eight former top law enforcement officials. The move intensifies bipartisan scrutiny of the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein case and signals renewed interest in possible ties to high-ranking figures. What to Know: Subpoenas target Bill and Hillary Clinton, eight former attorneys general, and FBI directors. DOJ ordered to turn over Epstein-related records by August 19. Ghislaine Maxwell's deposition has been delayed pending the Supreme Court's review of her conviction. Deposition dates range from mid-August to mid-October. DOJ memo claims no "client list" or blackmail evidence was found. Trump allies and far-right figures accuse the DOJ of withholding key information. Democrats are now pushing for transparency, sparking partisan backlash. Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates.
