Latest news with #HouseCommitteeonOversightandGovernmentReform
NBC News
a day ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Congress doesn't want to talk to Alex Acosta, Epstein's 'sweetheart deal' maker
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Tuesday listed former attorneys general, a former FBI director, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as people all subject to subpoenas for matters tied to Jeffrey Epstein. However, not named in the news release was Alex Acosta — who was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida whose secret non-prosecution agreement with Epstein created a spark that has turned into an inferno of controversy nearly 20 years later. Acosta also was President Donald Trump's labor secretary during his first term. Acosta left the role in 2019 after he faced scrutiny over the Epstein plea agreement. Victims of Epstein's sexual abuse are unhappy that Acosta was not among those subpoenaed. 'How can any genuine investigation into the federal government's sweetheart deal with Epstein (including the extraordinary grant of blanket immunity to all his named and unnamed co-conspirators) omit Alex Acosta?' Epstein victim attorney Jack Scarola asked in a statement to NBC News. Brittany Henderson, another Epstein victim attorney, said, 'Anyone familiar with the history of litigation related to Jeffrey Epstein knows from our decade long fight to enforce the Crimes Victims Rights Act that Alex Acosta is an important person to subpoena in any quest for the truth.' Relatives of Virginia Giuffre, one of the survivors of Epstein's abuse, who died by suicide this year, reiterated Wednesday that the victims should be consulted and heard first. Asked by NBC News why Acosta was not subpoenaed, a committee spokesperson said by text message that 'in a voice vote, both Republicans and Democrats on the Federal Law Enforcement Subcommittee in July approved a motion offered by Rep. Scott Perry by unanimous consent directing the Chairman to issue targeted subpoenas to Bill and Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Loretta Lynch, Eric Holder, Merrick Garland, Robert Mueller, William Barr, Jeff Sessions, and Alberto Gonzales. Chairman Comer has now issued the subpoenas.' Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., is the committee's chairman. Public records show that Gonzalez was Acosta's boss at the time the agreement was reached. Records also show it was Acosta who first made the decision to pursue what many legal analysts have called a 'sweetheart deal' to agree not to prosecute Epstein. A Justice Department Office of Professional Responsibility investigation into the Epstein non-prosecution agreement, which led to a 348-page report in November 2020, says it was Acosta who 'made the pivotal decision to resolve the federal investigation of Epstein through a state-based plea and either developed or approved the terms of the initial offer to the defense that set the beginning point for the subsequent negotiations that led to the NPA,' or non-prosecution agreement, according to the report's summary. The report says Acosta's top lieutenants went around the federal prosecutor investigating the case, the FBI and the victims by making an offer for Epstein to plea to state charges. The prosecutor at the time, Marie Villafana, was denied a meeting with Acosta by her immediate supervisors to explain her position and the strength of the case. She expressed her concerns and frustrations in an email to her supervisor at the time, Matt Menschel, about why an indictment was brought and why decisions were being made about a plea deal even after, she says, the U.S. attorney's office reassured her it would not cave in to Epstein's attorneys, the report says.
Metro
2 days ago
- Politics
- Metro
What is Bill Clinton's connection with Jeffrey Epstein?
The bombshell announcement that former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were subpoenaed to speak about Jeffrey Epstein has sent shockwaves through the political world. Clinton would be only the fifth former US commander-in-chief to testify before a congressional committee if he is deposed on October 14. The former president rode on Epstein's private jet to go overseas at least 26 times. Bill and the former First Lady are among nearly a dozen top officials who were issued subpoenas by House Republicans on Tuesday. How exactly did the Clintons know notorious paedophile Epstein? President Clinton and his wife, who served as Secretary of State during the Obama administration, have been called to speak before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in October. 'The facts and circumstances surrounding both Mr. Epstein and Ms. (Ghislaine) Maxwell's cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny,' wrote committee chairman James Comer in the subpoena letters. 'While the Department undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell's cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell.' Being subpoenaed means being summoned by a court to appear as a witness, provide testimony or produce documents which could help aid an ongoing legal case. If a person fails to appear in court after being issued a subpoena, they could be fined or sentenced to prison. President Donald Trump, on July 25, amid backlash on his administration's handling of the Epstein case, told the press 'You should focus on Clinton.' Trump's Justice Department and FBI in early July said there was no incriminating Epstein client list, contradicting an earlier promise to release the documents. Hillary Clinton was summoned to appear on October 9. Clinton and Epstein have a long history, but it's vital to note that it doesn't necessarily mean Clinton was involved in any crimes. For a long time, Epstein was a major donor to Democrats. Hillary received $20,000 from Epstein when she was fundraising in 1999 for the Democrats. After his presidency was over, flight logs for Epstein's private jet noted Bill Clinton as a passenger on trips to the Virgin Islands, Portugal, Siberia, Japan and China. The reasons for these trips haven't been released. More Trending Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell in 2019, reportedly had in his Manhattan residence an oil painting of Bill Clinton wearing a blue dress and red heels and sitting in the Oval Office. The ex-president had 'one brief visit' to Epstein's apartment in 2022, his spokesperson Angel Ureña said in 2019. Ureña at the time added that 'President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.' Trump and his children were also noted as passengers on Epstein's jet in the 1990s, on a trip to Washington, DC. He's also denied any involvement with the paedophile's crimes. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Killer gasps about lethal injection 'hurting so bad' with his last words MORE: Anti-migrant mob accuse officer of calling them fascists – but they misheard MORE: Search for missing 'body' in river turns up life-size sex doll
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Ghislaine Maxwell seeks immunity or clemency for testimony to Congress: What to know
From immunity to stepping outside prison bars to waiting out her appeals, Ghislaine Maxwell has a series of demands if Congress wants her testimony. She also has a back-up option: clemency from Trump. Convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell wants immunity and an advance look at the questions if Congress expects her to publicly testify about her ex-boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein. She also wants a pardon. Maxwell's defense lawyer, David Markus, laid out his client's conditions in a July 29 letter to Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, who issued a subpoena for Maxwell's testimony last week. Comer, who heads the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has said he wants to hear from Maxwell as he looks at how the federal government enforces sex-trafficking laws and what happened in the cases against her and Epstein. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting a federal sex-trafficking trial. He was previously convicted in 2008 of two Florida prostitution offenses, in what many consider a sweetheart plea deal. The disgraced financier was sentenced to just 18 months behind bars, despite facing serious allegations of sex crimes involving minors. About a decade later, New York federal prosecutors brought a sex-trafficking indictment against him. Last week, Maxwell spoke with Justice Department officials over the course of two days as the Trump administration seeks to quell public outrage over its early July announcement that it didn't find evidence in its Epstein-related files to justify investigating anyone else, and that it won't be releasing the files. Here's the latest on what Maxwell wants if she's going to talk to Congress: Maxwell demands immunity for testimony Maxwell will only speak publicly to Congress if she is first granted full immunity for her testimony, according to Markus's letter. He said the immunity will shield her from getting into more criminal trouble for coming forward. "Ms. Maxwell cannot risk further criminal exposure in a politically charged environment without formal immunity," according to the letter. That arrangement would be similar to the reported conditions of Maxwell's interview with the Justice Department. It granted her a limited form of immunity in exchange for her participation, according to ABC News and NBC News. Testifying from outside prison? Maxwell also insisted that she won't talk to Congress from behind bars, even though Comer arranged for her to be deposed at a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida. A prison setting wouldn't be conducive to getting "truthful and complete testimony" from Maxwell, according to Markus' letter. "The potential for leaks from such a setting creates real security risks and undermines the integrity of the process," Markus added. An advance look at questions? Congress should also give Maxwell its questions in advance, Markus insisted. That arrangement, he said, is "essential" for allowing her to meaningfully prepare, and will also let her find documents to corroborate her testimony. Markus suggested the arrangement is especially important because she has been incarcerated for several years, rendering surprise questions unproductive. "Years after the original events and well beyond the criminal trial, this process cannot become a game of cat-and-mouse," Markus wrote in the letter. Waiting for Supreme Court to address appeal Maxwell currently has an appeal pending at the U.S. Supreme Court. According to Markus' letter, she wants to wait to talk to Congress until after the high court resolves that appeal, and also until after a separate court appeal she is planning has run its course. "Proceeding before those matters are resolved would unfairly prejudice her if she is successful," Markus wrote. Maxwell is arguing in her Supreme Court appeal that Epstein's 2008 plea deal should have shielded her from being charged. The agreement included a provision protecting potential co-conspirators from criminal charges. However, the government says the prosecution against Maxwell in the Southern District of New York was permitted because the deal only applied to prosecutions in the Southern District of Florida. The Supreme Court hasn't yet decided whether to hear Maxwell's appeal. If that doesn't work? Maxwell would also accept a pardon If those conditions don't work, Markus said there's an "alternative" Maxwell would be happy with: If President Donald Trump grants Maxwell clemency, "she would be willing — and eager — to testify openly and honestly, in public, before Congress in Washington, D.C." The president has the power to fully pardon Maxwell as well as to commute her 20-year prison sentence. Trump noted that power during questioning by reporters on July 28 in Scotland, but added it would be 'inappropriate' to discuss it.
USA Today
25-07-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Lawmakers want to question Ghislaine Maxwell in Florida prison about Jeffrey Epstein
The Epstein case continues to be a political liability for President Donald Trump, who was once friends with him. Amid a day of blockbuster disclosures in the case of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a U.S. House committee issued a subpoena for Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell to appear at a deposition in the federal women's prison in Tallahassee, Florida, where she is serving her 20-year sentence. "The facts and circumstances surrounding both your and Mr. Epstein's cases have received immense public interest and scrutiny," wrote James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, in a July 23 letter to Maxwell through her Miami attorney, David Oscar Markus. The deposition is set for Aug. 11 at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tallahassee, the state capital, records show. The purpose is to further "potential legislative solutions ... to combat sex trafficking," among other things. But Markus, in a social media post, wouldn't yet commit to his client agreeing to the deposition: "Ms. Maxwell is taking this one step at a time. She looks forward to her meeting with the Department of Justice, and that discussion will help inform how she proceeds," he said. As previously reported, the Epstein case has become a political liability for President Donald Trump, who was once friends with the wealthy financier, after he and top administration officials raised expectations of bombshell revelations – before declaring the case closed. Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors, including abusing and exploiting underage girls, and reportedly involving powerful and influential men. After his arrest, Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail, which has fueled conspiracy theories and demands – including from the MAGA base – for fuller disclosures. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting and grooming the victims. "On July 13, The Daily Mail reported you were willing to speak with Congress regarding Mr. Epstein's criminal activities," Comer wrote. "According to the reporting, a source said you were 'never offered any kind of plea deal' and 'would be more than happy to sit before Congress and tell (your) story.' ' Separately, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said July 22 that Justice Department prosecutors had also asked to meet with Maxwell. "While the Department (of Justice) undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose additional information related to your and Mr. Epstein's cases, it is imperative that Congress conduct oversight of the federal government's enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally and specifically its handling of the investigation and prosecution of you and Mr. Epstein," Comer wrote. "In particular, the Committee seeks your testimony to inform the consideration of potential legislative solutions to improve federal efforts to combat sex trafficking and reform the use of non-prosecution agreements and/or plea agreements in sex-crime investigations." Also July 23, the Wall Street Journal reported that when Justice Department officials reviewed what Attorney General Pam Bondi described as a 'truckload' of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein earlier this year, they found multiple references to Trump. As early as this May in a White House meeting, Bondi told Trump his name appeared in the files, the Journal reported. Regardless, White House officials have steadfastly rejected any suggestion that Trump committed any wrongdoing. And a federal judge in Florida rejected a bid from the Justice Department on July 23 to unseal grand jury testimony tied to a two-decades-old investigation into Epstein. In an X post, Markus said that if Maxwell "agrees to testify before Congress and not take the 5th — and that remains a big if — she would testify truthfully, as she always has said she would and as she will with (Blanche). "... (W)e are grateful to Mr. Blanche and his DOJ that they are approaching this with an open mind. That's how our system is supposed to work," he added. This story contains previously published material, including from USA TODAY. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at jrosica@ and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL.
The Hill
18-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Third Biden aide refuses to answer Oversight questions: Comer
A third aide who served former President Biden while he was in the White House has refused to testify before a congressional panel, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Friday. Comer in a post on X said it was 'unbelievable' that Annie Tomasini, who served as deputy director of Oval Office Operations, and others refused to answer 'basic questions about … Biden's fitness to serve.' 'It's apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal,' Comer said. 'There needs to be transparency and accountability, and we will continue to pursue the truth and examine options to get the answers we need,' he added. Comer said Tomasini invoked the Fifth Amendment when asked if she was instructed to lie about Biden's health or the handling of classified documents found in his garage. She was also asked if the former president or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at Biden's home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family's business dealings, the Republican lawmaker added. Earlier this week, Anthony Bernal, informally known as former first lady Jill Biden's 'work husband,' refused to testify before the Oversight panel as did Kevin O'Connor, Biden's former doctor, earlier this month. The White House and Comer allege that Biden staffers helped cover up the former president's cognitive decline at the end of his term in office. Both Biden and Bernal have rejected the accusations. 'Most recently, the Committee seeks Mr. Bernal's testimony based on a purported controversy regarding use of the autopen at the conclusion of President Biden's term. President Biden has already confirmed that he personally made all decisions concerning his grants of clemency,' Bernal said in a statement sent to The Hill. 'While the Committee only recently began its autopen investigation, the Chairman has already declared that this matter is ' the biggest scandal in Oval Office history,'' he added. The former president shared similar sentiments during an interview published Sunday by The New York Times. 'Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false,' he told the news outlet.
