Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed a top federal prosecutor to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to several of Donald Trump’s political opponents. The move caps an extraordinary week in which both parties raced to release thousands of pages of Epstein-related emails, each trying to shape the political fallout.

The Inquiry Will Focus On Dem Ties To Epstein

Bondi announced Friday that she had tapped Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton — the same office that once indicted Epstein and later secured Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction — to lead the inquiry. Her statement came just hours after Trump posted online that he would ask the Justice Department and FBI to examine Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with former President Bill Clinton and other prominent Democrats, including Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. None of them have been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims. Trump, speaking from Air Force One, defended his role in pushing for the investigation. “I’m the chief law enforcement officer of the country,” he told reporters. “I’m allowed to do it.”

Both Sides Are Racing To Release More Epstein Files

Clayton’s assignment follows the release of nearly 23,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate by congressional Republicans — a trove overshadowed days later by a smaller set of emails released by House Democrats. Those messages included a 2019 email in which Epstein claimed Trump “knew about the girls,” a statement Democrats seized on as the latest unresolved question in Trump’s long, complicated association with the disgraced financier.

Trump Does Not Want People To Think About His Connection To Epstein

For decades, Trump has faced scrutiny for his relationship with Epstein. Though he has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s victims, his past social ties to Epstein have followed him through multiple election cycles. Yet in recent months, Trump has worked to recast the issue entirely, arguing that any real danger lies not with him but with Democrats. On Truth Social, Trump called the situation “the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans.” He also urged the Justice Department to examine JPMorgan Chase, which provided Epstein banking services and later agreed to pay millions to Epstein’s victims over claims it ignored red flags.

Bondi Shouldn’t Be Taking Direction From The White House

Bondi’s announcement instantly renewed concerns about political interference in federal law enforcement. The Justice Department has historically maintained a distance from overt White House direction, but that line has blurred repeatedly during Trump’s tenure. This latest move — a request from the president followed by near-immediate action — underscores how sharply that norm has eroded.

Everyone Is Distancing Themselves From Epstein

Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s jet but maintains he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Hoffman called Trump’s demands “political persecution and slander,” and urged the release of all Epstein files, saying they would show he “was never a client” and had only interacted with Epstein in the context of fundraising for MIT. Republicans, meanwhile, released a larger batch of Epstein emails, including messages between Epstein, Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and Prince Andrew. The House is preparing to vote on forcing the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related files.

Democratic Hoax Or Nah?

Trump told reporters he was indifferent to whether the documents become public — as long as the investigation includes Clinton and Hoffman. “If you’re going to do it, then you have to go into Epstein’s friends,” he said. He also insisted, again, that “this is a Democrat hoax,” even as he moved the Justice Department to investigate it. Bondi, for her part, praised Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country,” saying the probe would be conducted “with urgency and integrity.”