The US justice department has confirmed it will investigate paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged links to major banks and several prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton.
US President Donald Trump said he would ask Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI to look into Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others.
Bondi said the department “will pursue this with urgency and integrity”.
Trump’s request came days after thousands of Epstein’s emails were released by the US Congress – which include mentions of the US president. Democrats have accused Trump of trying to deflect from questions about his relationship with Epstein.
The emails, released by the US House Oversight Committee, include many high-profile figures. A review by the Wall Street Journal found that Trump was mentioned in more than 1,600 of the 2,324 email threads.
Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the committee, said Trump was attempting to “deflect from serious new questions we have about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein”.
In addition to Clinton, Trump said he asked the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate banks JP Morgan and Chase, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, who is also a prominent Democratic donor.
“Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem!” he wrote on social media.
“They all know about him, don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to run!”
Clinton has strongly denied he had any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
A spokesperson for JPMorgan Chase said the firm regrets “any association” they had with Epstein, and added that the firm “did not help him commit his heinous acts”.
It is unclear whether Trump made a formal request or issued a directive to the justice department, or if Bondi was responding to his post on his Truth Social platform.
Bondi said she appointed US Attorney Jay Clayton to lead an investigation into the ties with Epstein.
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