🔗 Share this article

On Friday, Pam Bondi appointed interim US attorney Jay Clayton to head an probe into opponents of the President and their connections with Jeffrey Epstein. This move came just after Trump instructed her to begin the probe.

In a statement, the Attorney General praised Clayton as “among the nation’s top prosecutors”. She remarked, “The department will handle this matter promptly and thoroughly to provide clarity for citizens.”

This development contrasts with a recent memorandum from justice department officials which declared that the Epstein files lacked grounds for further inquiries. As per the memo, investigators “lacked sufficient evidence to pursue cases against other parties.”

Trump Calls for Scrutiny of Democrats in the Epstein Case

This news coincides with growing pressure from the president on congressional Republicans to oppose the full release of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision in the coming days. Several lawmakers are anticipated to back the disclosure.

Newly public emails from Jeffrey Epstein have spotlighted Trump’s previous connections with the convicted criminal, including details that he knew more about Epstein’s conduct than he has previously let on.

That same day, Trump declared he would direct the DOJ to investigate Epstein’s ties with Democrats, specifically naming Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. Paradoxically, Trump also described the “Epstein situation” as a “deception”.

Additional Developments from Friday

• The President stated he would take legal action against the BBC, even after a formal apology from the network. Trump claimed the legal case could seek between a billion and $5bn.
• Epstein allegedly advised former Trump aide Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to support Trump’s policies. Text messages made public detail his involvement in coaching the influencer.
• American forces are developing plans for a divided Gaza, with a “green zone” under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” unreconstructed.
• Georgia prosecutor have revived the sole ongoing legal case against Trump after appointing a replacement attorney.
• The President changed trade measures by reducing duties on imported goods like beef, tomatoes, coffee and bananas to address rising costs.
• The two nations concluded a trade agreement to lower import taxes on Swiss goods from a significant decrease.

Additional developments included calls to protect national parks, criticism of an monitoring group, and a court approval for a settlement in the OxyContin lawsuit.