 "US President Donald Trump. (Reuters file)")
US President Donald Trump on Friday said he has directed the Department of Justice to investigate what he described as Jeffrey Epstein’s “alleged ties” with JPMorgan Chase and several prominent Democratic figures, including former President Bill Clinton.
Trump’s remarks came a day after a congressional committee released thousands of documents related to Epstein, prompting renewed scrutiny of the late financier’s network of political and business connections.
The document release also raised fresh questions about Trump’s own past association with Epstein, an issue that has resurfaced repeatedly in recent weeks.
According to a Reuters report, speaking to reporters, Trump said he had specifically asked the Justice Department to examine the roles of Clinton — who socialised with Epstein in the early 2000s — along with former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a high-profile Democratic donor.
The Justice Department has not yet commented on whether it will act on the president’s request.
“Epstein was a Democrat, and he is the Democrat’s problem, not the Republican’s problem!” Trump wrote on social media. “They all know about him, don’t waste your time with Trump. I have a Country to run!” he added.
JPMorgan in an emailed statement said: “We regret any association we had with the man, but did not help him commit his heinous acts. We ended our relationship with him years before his arrest on sex trafficking charges.”
Clinton and Summers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hoffman could not be immediately reached for comment.
Broke ties with Epstein long ago: Trump
Trump and Epstein were known to socialise during the 1990s and early 2000s, though Trump has said he cut off contact before Epstein’s 2008 conviction.
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View AllHe has repeatedly denied knowing about the disgraced financier’s abuse or sex-trafficking of underage girls. Still, the continued release of documents detailing their past interactions has created political turbulence during Trump’s second term.
JPMorgan Chase, which had a long financial relationship with Epstein, paid $290 million in 2023 to settle claims brought by several of his victims, who alleged the bank ignored signs of his trafficking operation.
The settlement followed disclosures that JPMorgan had disregarded internal warnings and overlooked red flags because Epstein was considered a lucrative client. The bank did not admit wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
The other individuals Trump named could not immediately be reached for comment. No credible evidence has emerged linking them to Epstein’s sex-trafficking activities, and all have previously denied any misconduct.
Clinton flew on Epstein’s private jet multiple times before the 2008 conviction, while Hoffman and Summers also socialised with him; all three have since expressed regret about their association.
Public opinion on Trump’s handling of the Epstein matter remains sharply divided.
While nine in ten Republicans say they approve of his overall performance as president, only four in ten express approval of how he has dealt with the Epstein files, according to an October Reuters/Ipsos poll.
With inputs from agencies