Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday moved to carry out President Donald Trump's call to redirect scrutiny onto Jeffrey Epstein's alleged ties to prominent Democrats and major financial institutions by appointing Jay Clayton, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead a new federal investigation, according to her announcement posted on X.
Bondi said Clayton is "one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country" and promised the department would pursue the probe "with urgency and integrity," underscoring that Epstein's political and financial network has never been fully accounted for.
Clayton, a former Securities and Exchange Commission chair under Trump, previously worked in high-level corporate law at Sullivan & Cromwell and was kept on at SDNY by Manhattan's federal judges after his interim term expired.
His lack of prior prosecutorial experience has drawn criticism in the past, though Bondi's appointment signals a push to put an aggressive focus on the political figures and institutions long suspected of shielding Epstein.
Trump ordered the investigation as Democrats intensified attacks over his past acquaintance with Epstein, which Trump says pales compared with Epstein's deep and well-documented relationships with leading Democrats.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Democrats of peddling an "Epstein Hoax" to distract from the government shutdown and said Epstein's real political connections were "with their side, not ours."
Trump pointed specifically to former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman as individuals far more entangled with Epstein's world.
Trump said records show these men "spent large portions of their life with Epstein, and on his 'Island,'" pointing to longstanding questions Democrats have repeatedly sidestepped.
The White House has defended Trump against what it calls selective outrage.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the administration has been "fully transparent" and noted the Justice Department's earlier review found "no credible evidence" implicating any uncharged third parties—a review Democrats criticized only after it failed to produce political ammunition against Trump.
Bondi's move comes as Congress prepares for a high-stakes vote next week on whether to force the release of sealed Epstein records.
A discharge petition to compel that vote crossed the 218-signature mark, including signatures from Republicans frustrated that Democrats have not supported full transparency until Trump became the target, according to tallies reported by Axios and other outlets.
Several Republicans have joined Democrats in demanding disclosure, though GOP lawmakers have openly questioned why Democratic leaders resisted earlier pushes to unlock the files.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., have led the bipartisan effort calling for the release, according to Reuters reporting on the petition.
A House subcommittee also voted 8-2 to subpoena the Justice Department for Epstein-related documents, with three Republicans siding with Democrats on the measure, according to The Associated Press account of the vote.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a New York City jail while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges.
The Justice Department said this year that its review found no evidence of a rumored "client list" and no basis to prosecute unnamed individuals tied to Epstein, according to DOJ statements reported by AP — an outcome critics say benefited numerous powerful Democrats who associated with Epstein over decades.
Trump has said any release of records must protect victims and comply with grand jury secrecy laws. He told reporters that Bondi briefed him on the files and had done a "very good job," according to coverage from Politico and The Hill.
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