The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice confirmed that billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, committed suicide in his cell at the Manhattan prison in 2019. Both agencies also dismissed the existence of a supposed “client list” that he allegedly used to blackmail individuals involved in child trafficking crimes.
After a review ordered by the US president, Donald Trump, the FBI and the Department of Justice emphasized that they did not find any evidence that Epstein had the so-called “Epstein list,” which supposedly included names of influential figures linked to the case.
With this report, authorities seek to put an end to the multiple conspiracy theories —many of them contradictory— surrounding the case that some of Trump’s allies have publicly promoted and spread.
However, the document could fuel controversy among those who claim that Epstein had ties to well-known figures who supported him and, according to those accounts, acted as accomplices to his crimes.
The Department of Justice stated that, for the time being, it will not open new investigations or bring additional charges related to the case, as it concluded that there is no evidence against third parties linked to Epstein, as reported by ABC News.
The Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, pledged to release numerous documents related to the investigation. However, she explained that the process is facing delays due to the “hundreds of thousands” of videos in the possession of the FBI, which could contain material related to child pornography.
When asked about the possible release date of those documents, Trump responded that he did not have any information about it: “I really don’t know,” he said, and added that he would discuss the matter with the attorney general.
Authorities arrested Epstein in July 2019 on charges of sexual abuse and trafficking of dozens of girls in the early 2000s. The millionaire, who at one time had relationships with personalities such as Prince Andrew of England, Bill Clinton, and Trump himself, died by hanging in his cell.