Bondi Discloses Investigation into Trump Adversaries and Epstein Ties

On Friday, Pam Bondi appointed interim US attorney Jay Clayton to lead an inquiry into opponents of the President and their links with Jeffrey Epstein. This decision came just after Trump instructed her to launch the probe.

In a statement, Bondi highlighted Jay Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country”. She stated, “As with all matters, the department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

This action appears to contradict a July memo from federal authorities which stated that the Epstein files lacked grounds for further inquiries. According to the document, investigators “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”

Trump Calls for Focus on Democrats in Epstein Matter

This news coincides with increasing pressure from Trump on congressional Republicans to resist the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision in the coming days. Many Republicans are anticipated to back the release.

Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have brought attention to Trump’s past involvement with the sex trafficker, including information that he knew more about Epstein’s conduct than he has previously let on.

On Friday, the President announced he would ask the Department of Justice to examine connections between Epstein and Democratic figures, including prominent individuals such as Clinton, Summers, and Hoffman. Paradoxically, he also referred to the “Epstein situation” as a “scam”.

Additional Updates from Friday

• Trump announced he would take legal action against the British broadcaster, even after an apology from the media outlet. Trump claimed the lawsuit could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Epstein allegedly advised Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to defend Trump’s policies. Text messages released show Epstein’s role in advising the influencer.
• US military are planning for a partitioned Gaza, with a secure area under joint military oversight and a “red zone” unreconstructed.
• State officials have reopened the last remaining criminal case against Trump after naming a new lead prosecutor.
• The President reversed tariff policy by reducing duties on food imports like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to address inflation concerns.
• The two nations reached a deal to reduce tariffs on products from Switzerland from 39% to 15%.

Other notable events included appeals to protect national parks, objections of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a resolution in the OxyContin lawsuit.