Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) told reporters on Wednesday that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was not &#8220;100% truthful&#8221; about his past relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Lutnick arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning for a closed-door deposition before the Oversight Committee to answer questions on his relationship with Epstein. Before the deposition began, Comer took questions from reporters and said the Commerce secretary has not been fully honest in some of his past statements on Epstein.
Lutnick claimed last year that he vowed never to go near Epstein after a strange encounter with the financier in 2005. Photos released by the Justice Department in its trove of Epstein documents, however, show Lutnick with the disgraced financier on his infamous private island in 2012 — four years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution.
&#8220;We&#8217;ll let the American people judge whether the credibility was damaged,&#8221; Comer <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2052041254582497381">said</a> before the Oversight Committee hearing began. &#8220;But at the end of the day, I haven&#8217;t seen wrongdoing in the email correspondence. But he wasn&#8217;t 100% truthful with whether or not he had been on the island.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1053025" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1053025" class="wp-image-1053025 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Credit: Justice Department</div>
Comer added that the Oversight Committee would ask Lutnick more questions about his visit to Little Saint James.
&#8220;We haven&#8217;t talked to too many people that have admitted they&#8217;ve been on the island,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/cspan/status/2052041606396563913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2052041606396563913%7Ctwgr%5Eaf21514ed8f52cc35fd510d98c61f2c482bcb7a4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mediaite.com%2Fmedia%2Fnews%2Fjames-comer-hits-lutnick-ahead-of-epstein-testimony-he-wasnt-100-truthful-about-island-visit%2F">said</a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s my understanding he wasn&#8217;t on the island very long. He was there with his wife and kids, but we&#8217;ll see what he says.&#8221;
The Oversight Committee chairman promised to release the full transcript of Lutnick&#8217;s deposition in the coming days.
During a Senate hearing in February, Lutnick <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cabinet-secretary-confirms-he-visited-epsteins-island-with-wife-and-children-in-2012">confirmed</a> he visited Epstein&#8217;s Little Saint James Island and said he was accompanied by his wife and four children, as well as another couple and their children. Lutnick told senators that he had lunch with Epstein on his island for around an hour while he was on vacation with his family. He has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
The Commerce secretary has been ripped by Democrats and some Republicans who expressed concern about his previous storyline.
“It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein. He said he had no interactions with Epstein after 2005, yet we now know they were in business together. Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the ranking Democratic member on the House Oversight Committee, said in February.
Lutnick is the first Trump administration official to be questioned under oath before the Oversight Committee on the Epstein investigation. The Commerce secretary went in for a closed-door deposition voluntarily.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been on the Oversight Committee 10 years, and there&#8217;s never been a chairman [who has brought] in Cabinet secretaries of their own party,&#8221; Comer added.
Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi is also slated to appear before the committee for questioning on the Epstein case in the coming weeks. Bondi was fired as attorney general in early April as President Donald Trump was frustrated with the lack of criminal prosecutions of Democrats who committed lawfare against him. Bondi also faced scrutiny over how she handled the Epstein investigation.

Howard Lutnick

House Oversight Chair Says Lutnick ‘Wasn’t 100% Truthful’ About Epstein Ahead Of Hearing

Department of Justice

House Oversight Committee

James Comer

Jeffrey Epstein

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said on Wednesday that some lawmakers on the committee are in favor of a pardon for Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s associate Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for Maxwell answering questions on her and Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking scheme.
Maxwell appeared for a virtual deposition before the committee in February, but she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-will-only-testify-on-epstein-if-trump-gives-her-what-she-wants-lawyer-says?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Ghislaine+Maxwell+Will+Only+Testify+On+Epstein+If+Trump+Gives+Her+What+She+Wants%2C+Lawyer+Says">pled</a> the Fifth Amendment and said she would only testify on Epstein&#8217;s crimes if she was granted clemency. Maxwell&#8217;s demand has caused some debate in the Oversight Committee over a potential pardon, which would have to be granted by President Donald Trump.
“My committee’s split on that,” Comer told <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/04/22/congress/to-pardon-maxwell-or-not-00887823?nname=playbook&amp;nid=0000014f-1646-d88f-a1cf-5f46b7bd0000&amp;nrid=5c65d8fa-b7c7-44e5-98d0-43e6086e71cd">POLITICO</a>. “I don’t speak for my committee.”
He did not name any of his colleagues who have voiced support for pardoning Maxwell, but he clarified that he is not on the side of lawmakers who want Trump to offer her the deal.
&#8220;I think it looks bad. Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell,&#8221; he said.
The lawmakers who support a pardon for the convicted sex trafficker appear to be on the Republican side of the aisle. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said that Democrats are united in their opposition to a pardon for Maxwell.
“That would be a huge step backwards, and, quite frankly, so disrespectful to the survivors. She is a known abuser. She is a known liar,&#8221; Garcia said. “If the DOJ or Oversight Republicans are out there trying to negotiate some sort of pardon that is … not only a huge slap in the face to this investigation, to anyone, to the American public, it&#8217;s a part of a massive cover up.”
Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein acquire underage girls for sex, has been pushing for a pardon from Trump for nearly a year. The president was <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5541645-maxwell-pardon-trump-review/">asked</a> last October if he was considering a pardon for Maxwell and said he wasn&#8217;t aware that she had requested clemency. Trump added that he would &#8220;take a look at it&#8221; and &#8220;speak to the DOJ.&#8221;
After Maxwell refused to answer questions before the Oversight Committee in February, Trump was asked again if he would consider a pardon for her.
&#8220;It&#8217;s something I haven&#8217;t thought about,&#8221; he said again. &#8220;I&#8217;m allowed to do it, but it&#8217;s something I have not thought about.&#8221;
Last week, Maxwell&#8217;s lawyer, David Markus, told POLITICO that he remains optimistic that Maxwell will receive a pardon.
“I don’t know what the percentages are,” he said. “There’s a good chance and for good reason that she would get a pardon.”
Markus added that he has not yet spoken directly with the administration about Maxwell&#8217;s request.
&#8220;I don’t think now is the best time to do it, with everything going on,” he said, referring to the ongoing backlash to the Trump administration&#8217;s handling of the Epstein investigation. “We’re not on a full court press right now.”
The Oversight Committee, which has been conducting its own probe of the Epstein case, has interviewed multiple high-profile people connected to the convicted pedophile. Last month, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were grilled by the committee over their relationship with Epstein.
The Oversight Committee plans to interview Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in the coming weeks.

House Republicans/Ghislaine Maxwell

Behind Closed Doors, Some Top Republicans Want A Ghislaine Maxwell Pardon

Congress

Ghislaine Maxwell

Politics

U.S.

A federal judge has dismissed President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, dealing a significant setback in his legal fight over reporting tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
In a ruling Monday, U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles found that Trump failed to plausibly allege that the Journal acted with “actual malice,” the high legal standard required in defamation cases involving public figures. The judge dismissed the complaint without prejudice, allowing Trump to amend and refile the lawsuit.
Trump’s lawsuit was filed in July, just days after the Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=hp_lead_pos7">published</a> a report describing a sexually suggestive letter it said bore Trump’s signature and was included in a 2003 birthday album compiled for Epstein by Ghislaine Maxwell. According to the report, the letter featured a drawing of a naked woman and included the message, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has forcefully denied authoring the letter, insisting no such authentic document exists and calling the report “false, malicious, and defamatory.” In his original complaint, Trump argued the paper failed to provide proof of authenticity, did not include the full document at the time of publication, and could not verify how it was obtained.
Judge Gayles, however, wrote that Trump’s legal team did not meet the burden required to proceed with a defamation claim. Specifically, the complaint did not adequately show that the Journal knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. The judge also pointed to the paper’s reporting process, noting that it sought comment from Trump prior to publication and included his denial in the story — a key factor in undercutting claims of actual malice.
Importantly, the court did not resolve whether the letter itself is authentic. Gayles made clear that questions about whether Trump authored the note or the nature of his relationship with Epstein are factual disputes that cannot be determined at this stage of litigation.
Separate forensic linguistic analysis previously reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wsj-epstein-letter-polar-opposite-of-trumps-writing-style-3-forensic-analyses-reach-same-verdict">The Daily Wire</a> has raised significant questions about the letter’s authenticity. Three independent AI systems, analyzing decades of Trump’s speeches, books, and written communications, concluded there was an “extremely low probability” that Trump authored the note. One report described a “fundamental and pervasive mismatch” between the letter and Trump’s known writing style, pointing to its abstract phrasing, theatrical dialogue format, and structured narrative elements.
The analyses found that the letter’s tone, including phrases like “may every day be another wonderful secret,” diverges sharply from Trump’s typically direct, blunt communication style. The presence of a scripted, almost stage-like format featuring imagined dialogue between “Donald” and “Jeffrey” was also flagged as highly inconsistent with Trump’s known patterns of speech and writing.
Even when prompted to argue in favor of Trump’s authorship, the AI systems were unable to produce strong linguistic evidence supporting that conclusion. Instead, they pointed primarily to circumstantial factors, such as Trump’s past association with Epstein, while maintaining that the writing itself did not match his established idiolect.
Despite those findings, the Journal has stood by its reporting, and its legal team argued in court that the article was accurate and therefore not defamatory. Attorneys also contended that the claims described in the report were not inconsistent with Trump’s public persona, further weakening the defamation argument.
The letter itself later became public after congressional investigators obtained Epstein’s so-called “birthday book” from his estate, adding another layer of scrutiny to the controversy. The White House has pushed back aggressively, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1965146390348398627">stating</a> that it is “very clear” Trump neither drew nor signed the image described in the report.
Looking ahead, Trump has made clear he intends to continue the legal fight. In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116398354806956903">post</a> on Truth Social, he emphasized that the ruling was procedural rather than final, writing: “Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge. It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th.” His legal team has similarly indicated plans to submit an amended complaint, setting up the next phase of what could become a prolonged legal battle.
The dismissal marks a notable moment in Trump’s broader effort to challenge media coverage through the courts, particularly as Epstein-related disclosures continue to reverberate through political and legal circles. While Trump’s legal team has vowed to refile what it called a “powerhouse lawsuit,” the ruling underscores the steep legal hurdles public figures face when attempting to prove defamation against major news organizations.

Trump Epstein 2

Federal Judge Throws Out Trump’s Lawsuit Against WSJ. Why And What’s Next?

Donald Trump

Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—The First Lady of the United States denied any connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in an unexpected statement on Thursday afternoon, warning the public: &#8220;The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.&#8221;
&#8220;The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect,&#8221; First Lady Melania Trump said in an address to the country. &#8220;I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.&#8221;
&#8220;I have never been friends with Epstein,&#8221; she went on. &#8220;Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach.&#8221;
Her statement marks the first time that Melania Trump, as First Lady, has publicly addressed Epstein.
It is unclear what prompted the First Lady to speak out on the topic at this point in time — Epstein&#8217;s name had mostly departed the national news cycle, and both the White House and President Donald Trump have shown a strong distaste for discussing the topic. That distaste was exacerbated by the fervor of Democratic lawmakers, who have attempted to use the Epstein news cycle in their favor against the president.
The First Lady also said on Thursday that she never had a relationship with Epstein&#8217;s cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell, and she referenced an email she had apparently sent to Maxwell, saying that it &#8220;cannot be categorized as anything more than a casual correspondence.&#8221;
&#8220;My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,&#8221; she added. &#8220;I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998. This initial encounter with my husband is documented in detail in my book, &#8216;MELANIA.'&#8221;
&#8220;The first time I crossed paths with Epstein was in the year 2000, at an event Donald and I attended together,&#8221; the First Lady explained. &#8220;At the time, I had never met Epstein and had no knowledge of his criminal undertakings. Numerous fake images and statements about Epstein and me have been circulating on social media for years now. Be cautious about what you believe.  These images and stories are completely false.&#8221;
Melania Trump emphasized that she is &#8220;not a witness or a named witness&#8221; connected to any of Epstein&#8217;s crimes.
<div id="attachment_1075167" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-lies-need-to-end-today-melania-trump-denies-any-connections-to-jeffrey-epstein/us-politics-first-lady-trump-3" rel="attachment wp-att-1075167"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1075167" class="wp-image-1075167 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2269958372-1-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2269958372-1-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2269958372-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2269958372-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/04/GettyImages-2269958372-1.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;My name has never appeared in court documents, depositions, victim statements, or FBI interviews surrounding the Epstein matter,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I have never had any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of his victims.  I was never involved in any capacity — I was not a participant, was never on Epstein’s plane, and never visited his private island. I have never been legally accused or convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein’s sex trafficking, abuse of minors, and other repulsive behavior.&#8221;
Those who attempt to link her to Epstein are trying to damage her name for political and financial reasons, she said, calling the claims &#8220;false smears&#8221; from &#8220;mean-spirited and politically motivated individuals and entities.&#8221;
The First Lady says that she and her attorneys have successfully fought back against Epstein-related claims against her, noting that they will continue to fight to protect her reputation.
&#8220;To date, several individuals and companies have been legally obligated to publicly apologize and retract their lies about me, such as The Daily Beast, James Carville, and HarperCollins UK,&#8221; she said.
She also called for Congress to hold a hearing for the Epstein victims, one &#8220;specifically centered around the survivors.&#8221; She called for the victims to testify under oath in front of Congress and have their testimonies &#8220;permanently entered into the Congressional Record.&#8221;
&#8220;Now is the time for Congress to act,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Epstein was not alone. Several prominent male executives resigned from their powerful positions after this matter became widely politicized. Of course, this doesn’t amount to guilt, but we still must work openly and transparently to uncover the truth.&#8221;

US-POLITICS-FIRST LADY-TRUMP

‘The Lies…Need To End Today’: Melania Trump Stuns With Appearance To Deny Jeffrey Epstein Claims

Melania Trump

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is slated to testify before the House Oversight Committee on his relationship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, becoming yet another high-profile person to be grilled by lawmakers investigating Epstein&#8217;s child sex crimes.
Gates is scheduled to appear before the committee for a transcribed interview on June 10, according to multiple reports. The GOP-led committee sent a letter to Gates on March 3, asking him to meet with lawmakers for an interview.
&#8220;While he never witnessed or participated in any of Epstein&#8217;s illegal conduct, he is looking forward to answering all the committee&#8217;s questions to support their important work,&#8221; a Gates spokesman <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bill-gates-jeffrey-epstein-house-oversight-committee/">said</a> on Tuesday.
Gates developed a relationship with Epstein beginning in 2011, three years after Epstein pled guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) wrote in a letter to Gates that the committee believes the tech billionaire has &#8220;information that will assist in its investigation.&#8221;
Gates <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-gates-admits-to-affairs-with-russian-women-but-washes-hands-of-epsteins-crimes?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Bill+Gates+Admits+To+Affairs+With+Russian+Women+%E2%80%94+But+Washes+Hands+Of+Epstein%E2%80%99s+Crimes">apologized</a> to the staff of his foundation earlier this year for his connection with Epstein and admitted to affairs with a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist. Epstein knew about Gates&#8217; sexual encounters, and Gates was mentioned multiple times by Epstein in emails released by the Justice Department late last year.
One of the emails appears to be a draft of a resignation letter from Gates’ former science adviser, Boris Nikolic, that Epstein sent to himself. In the email, the writer admits to “facilitating … illegal trysts, with married women” and helping Gates “get drugs, in order to deal with the consequences of sex with russian [sic] girls.” Another email states that Gates contracted a sexually transmitted disease from the affairs with Russian women and alleged that he intended to &#8220;surreptitiously&#8221; slip antibiotics to his then-wife, Melinda Gates.
Gates has vehemently denied those allegations and said that Epstein sought to &#8220;entrap and defame&#8221; him because he was frustrated that Gates broke off their relationship. Bill and Melinda Gates divorced in 2021, a process that began shortly after reports of Bill’s close relationship with Epstein began circulating in 2019.
“To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing,” Gates said of his ex-wife during his apologetic remarks to staff in February.
Gates told his foundation employees that the two Russian women with whom he had affairs were not victims of Epstein’s sex-trafficking scheme. The Russian bridge player with whom Gates had sexual relations was in her 20s when she met the Microsoft co-founder. She also met Epstein in 2013, and Epstein reportedly paid for the woman to attend school for a software coding course. In 2017, Epstein asked Gates to reimburse him for the college course.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates told his staff, adding, “To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around [Epstein].”
Gates has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
The House Oversight Committee has already questioned former President Bill Clinton, who flew on Epstein&#8217;s infamous jet numerous times, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over their connection to Epstein. The committee is also set to grill U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on May 6. Lutnick was once Epstein&#8217;s neighbor in New York City, and he visited Epstein on his private Caribbean island with his family in late 2012.

Bill Gates/Jeffrey Epstein

Date Set For Deposition Of Former Epstein Pal Bill Gates

Bill Gates

NEW YORK (Reuters) &#8211; Bank of America agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, court records showed on Friday.
Lawyers for the bank and the women had told Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff this month they had reached a &#8220;settlement in principle,&#8221; but terms of the deal were not disclosed at the time.
&#8220;While we stand by our prior statements made in the filings in this case, including that Bank of America did not facilitate sex trafficking crimes, this resolution allows us to put this matter behind us and provides further closure for the plaintiffs,&#8221; a spokesperson for Bank of America said in a statement.
In a joint court filing, David Boies and Bradley Edwards, attorneys for the plaintiffs, said the settlement represented the best option for their clients &#8220;given that many Class Members suffered harm many years ago and are in need of financial relief now.&#8221;
The plaintiffs&#8217; lawyers may seek up to 30% of the settlement, or about $21.8 million, for legal fees, according to court records.
The settlement requires Rakoff&#8217;s approval. The judge scheduled a court hearing for Thursday to consider approving the deal.
The proposed class action, filed in October by a woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe, accused the second-largest U.S. bank of ignoring suspicious financial transactions related to Epstein despite a &#8220;plethora&#8221; of information about his crimes because it valued profit over protecting victims.
Bank of America has said Doe alleged merely that it provided routine services to people who at the time had no known links to Epstein, and that any suggestion that it was more deeply involved was &#8220;threadbare and meritless.&#8221;
Rakoff ruled in January that Bank of America must face Doe&#8217;s claims that it knowingly benefited from Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking and obstructed enforcement of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Among the transactions Doe flagged were payments to Epstein by Apollo Global Management&#8217;s billionaire co-founder, Leon Black.
Black stepped down as Apollo&#8217;s chief executive in 2021 after a review by an outside law firm found he had paid Epstein $158 million for tax and estate planning.
Black has denied wrongdoing and said he was unaware of Epstein&#8217;s criminal conduct.
Doe&#8217;s lawyers have also sued other alleged enablers of Epstein&#8217;s sex trafficking, and in 2023 reached settlements of $290 million with JPMorgan Chase and $75 million with Deutsche Bank on behalf of his accusers.
The lawyers are also appealing Rakoff&#8217;s dismissal in January of a similar lawsuit they brought against Bank of New York Mellon.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide by New York City&#8217;s medical examiner.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Rod Nickel)

Bank of America/Epstein

Another Major Bank Agrees To Dish Out Over $70M To Settle Epstein Lawsuit

Bank of America

Banks

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said on Tuesday night that the committee plans to question the former corrections officer who searched for information about pedophile Jeffrey Epstein less than an hour before he was found dead in his New York City jail cell on August 10, 2019.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/07/us-news/prison-guard-googled-jeffrey-epstein-minutes-before-his-body-was-found-and-deposited-thousands-days-before-pedophiles-suicide-doj/">reported</a> last Saturday that former Metropolitan Correctional Center guard Tova Noel googled &#8220;latest on Epstein in jail&#8221; at 5:42 a.m. and again at 5:52 a.m. before Epstein was found dead at 6:30 a.m., according to FBI records. Chase Bank also flagged numerous &#8220;suspicious&#8221; deposits into Noel&#8217;s bank account between April of 2018 and November of 2019, with the largest deposit of $5,000 coming on July 30, 2019, according to the Post, which reviewed DOJ documents.
Noel will now be asked to appear before the committee for an interview, Comer <a href="https://x.com/JesseBWatters/status/2031535459940155536">told</a> Fox News host Jesse Watters.
&#8220;The recent media reports &#8230; [are] very concerning, especially the suspicious activity report on a $5,000 mysterious deposit that she had,&#8221; Comer told Watters. &#8220;And the reason that stands out to me, Jesse, is because very seldom are suspicious activity reports even reported for sums less than $10,000.&#8221;
Noel, who was also accused of falsifying guard shift records the night before Epstein was found dead, is believed to be the last corrections officer to see Epstein alive.
&#8220;So because of this, because of the media reports and because of the fact that, honestly, most people on the committee aren&#8217;t confident 100% that Epstein&#8217;s death was by suicide, we&#8217;re going to ask Ms. Noel to come in for a transcribed interview,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;Again, no one is accusing her of any wrongdoing, but we have a lot of questions about Epstein.&#8221;
Noel is also believed to be the mysterious blur that was <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-jail-video-investigation/">caught on camera</a> moving near Epstein&#8217;s cell with orange linen the night before he died, according to the Justice Department. Epstein apparently killed himself using extra linen that was in his cell. Noel reportedly told investigators that she &#8220;never gave out linen&#8221; to inmates, since that was always done during the previous shift. She also denied googling Epstein shortly before he was found dead.
DOJ investigators interviewed Noel following Epstein&#8217;s apparent suicide, and her lawyers said she did not have any part in Epstein&#8217;s death. The Justice Department did not ask Noel about the numerous cash deposits that were flagged by Chase as &#8220;suspicious activity,&#8221; the Post reported.
Noel and her fellow guard, Michael Thomas, were accused of falling asleep on the job and admitted to falsifying their reports to cover up for missing checks on Epstein, which they were supposed to conduct every 30 minutes.
Noel and Thomas were arrested and charged in November of 2019, but a federal judge later <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/us/jeffrey-epstein-officers-dismissed-charges-judge">dismissed</a> the charges after prosecutors struck a deal in exchange for &#8220;truthful information related to their employment by the Bureau of Prisons.&#8221;

Tova Noel/Jeffrey Epstein

Guard Who Googled Epstein Right Before His Death Now In The Spotlight

House Oversight Committee To Question Guard Who Googled Epstein Just Before He Was Found Dead

Epstein Files

Whoopi Goldberg and her cohosts on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;The View&#8221; suggested during Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast that President Donald Trump may have started a war with Iran to keep the American people distracted from the Epstein files and the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case.
Goldberg raised the possibility first, saying it was &#8220;nutty as hell&#8221; that a major military conflict — involving a known bad actor and American interests and allies in the Middle East — was sucking up all the oxygen in the media space and arguing that it was an intentional play to redirect public focus.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Whoopi claims the conflict with Iran is a distraction from the search for Nancy Guthrie and the Epstein files:
GOLDBERG: Well, I mean, it&#8217;s just nutty as hell. It&#8217;s nutty as hell and you&#8217;re right, every day is something new. And it&#8217;s &#8212; you know, I was thinking about it… <a href="https://t.co/Boyu2mYouH">pic.twitter.com/Boyu2mYouH</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickFondacaro/status/2031400257192374744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I mean, it&#8217;s just nutty as hell. It&#8217;s nutty as hell and you&#8217;re right, every day is something new,&#8221; Goldberg began. &#8220;And it&#8217;s — you know, I was thinking about it yesterday, because I thought, well, okay, why haven&#8217;t we been talking about Savannah Guthrie and what&#8217;s going on there?&#8221;
&#8220;And her mother,&#8221; Sunny Hostin interjected.
&#8220;Why haven&#8217;t we not been — why have we not been talking about the Epstein files? Because that&#8217;s still there,&#8221; Goldberg continued. &#8220;This is meant to get us so worked up that we are unable to see anything else.&#8221;
The audience and the others around the table applauded and voiced their agreement.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a very wag-the-dog feeling. Very wag-the-dog feeling,&#8221; Hostin said, employing the slang term for use of a military action that is intended to divert public attention from a politically damaging issue.
The panel then pivoted to claim that the Trump administration viewed members of the military as &#8220;cannon fodder.&#8221;
Cohost Sara Haines said that anyone who waged war should keep the human cost in mind, and Goldberg immediately claimed that the Trump administration did not do that.
&#8220;They don&#8217;t have that feeling, because to them, we&#8217;re cannon fodder,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;They don&#8217;t care, you know? It&#8217;s how — It&#8217;s why they — it&#8217;s how they also treat our vets. It tells you a lot. You&#8217;ve heard him talk about vets.&#8221;
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth were all on hand for the Dignified Transfer to receive the remains of the first six American service members killed during Operation Epic Fury. Vice President Vance, a Marine Corps veteran himself, attended the Dignified Transfer for the seventh. Trump referred to the ceremony as &#8220;the toughest thing I have to do as President.&#8221;

Whoopi Goldberg

‘The View’ Hosts Suggest Trump Started A War To Distract From Epstein: ‘Very Wag-The-Dog Feeling’

'The View' Hosts Suggest Trump Started A War To Distract From Epstein: 'Very Wag-The-Dog Feeling'

Iran

Media

Nancy Guthrie

The View

Billboard in Times Square Calls For Release Of Epstein Files

A Potential Lead In The Epstein Files. This Is Weird.

Jail

Matt Walsh

New York City

Opinion

Prison

Five Republicans joined all Democrats in attendance on the GOP-led House Oversight Committee in passing a motion to subpoena U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to testify on the administration&#8217;s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Wednesday&#8217;s vote means Bondi could soon be in front of the same committee that grilled former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over their ties to Epstein last week. The motion was proposed by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and supported by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Michael Cloud (R-TX), and Scott Perry (R-PA), along with every Democrat who was present for a 24-19 vote.
&#8220;AG Bondi will testify about missing Epstein evidence. The videos, the audio, the documents the DOJ is hiding,&#8221; Mace <a href="https://x.com/RepNancyMace/status/2029305372813533324">said</a>. &#8220;The American people deserve transparency. Survivors deserve justice. We&#8217;re delivering both. Accountability is coming.&#8221;
It would not be the first time for Bondi to testify under oath about her handling of the Epstein case. The attorney general faced numerous questions from Democrats and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie during a House Judiciary Committee hearing last month. Bondi blasted Democrats&#8217; focus on the Epstein case as a &#8220;circus.&#8221;
Bondi has faced intense scrutiny since she suggested last year that Epstein&#8217;s so-called client list was sitting on her desk, but later clarified that she was referring to a file on the Epstein case, not an actual client list. When the Justice Department closed its investigation into Epstein in July, it said that it found no evidence of a client list.
The Justice Department has also been criticized for its messy rollout of the millions of documents and tens of thousands of images related to the Epstein case. After the final file dump in late January, the Justice Department scrambled to remove unredacted nude images of young women. Other files had to be removed because they revealed personal information of people, which should have been redacted, including full names and addresses.
After the final Epstein document dump in January, the Justice Department took down more than 47,000 files, which made up around 65,000 total pages, as it worked to redact sensitive information. While those files contain some of the sensitive photos and information that should have been redacted, it&#8217;s unclear why most of the 65,000 pages continue to be held by the Trump administration. Mace accused the Justice Department of hiding the missing 65,000 pages.
“We’re gonna be talking about real, substantive issues, like the 65,000 documents that are being hidden by the DOJ right now,” Mace <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/pam-bondi-subpoena-epstien-00812960">said</a> after voting to subpoena Bondi.
Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5767681-pam-bondi-subpoena-epstein-files-oversight/">said</a> before the vote, &#8220;Look, the American public has significant questions about the DOJ and the process for releasing of the files. … I think it’s important that [Bondi] is in front of our committee, she can directly answer questions about the release of the files, about transparency, about ensuring that victims and survivors are protected.&#8221;
After the Clintons were deposed last week, Democrats called for the committee to subpoena President Donald Trump, arguing that the Republican effort to grill the Clintons &#8220;set a new precedent.&#8221;
While Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s crimes, the Epstein case has been a thorn in his administration&#8217;s side for most of his second term. On Tuesday, Trump&#8217;s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify before the Oversight Committee on his ties to Epstein.
Former President Clinton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-unexpected-turn-bill-clinton-defends-trump-during-epstein-deposition?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Clinton+Interrupts+His+Own+Exit+To+Volunteer+A+Defense+Of+Trump">told</a> lawmakers under oath last week that he has &#8220;no information that [Trump] did anything wrong&#8221; in relation to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
&#8220;The president never &#8230; said anything to me to make me think he was involved with anything with regard to Epstein either,&#8221; Clinton said. “He just didn’t. He just said, ‘We were friends, and then we had a falling out over a land deal or a property deal.'&#8221;

Pam Bondi

Bondi Released Massive Epstein Document Trove — Democrats Still Aren’t Happy

Nancy Mace

Trump Administration

Former President Bill Clinton visibly froze when he was asked to explain why the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein might have said that he &#8220;likes them young.&#8221;
Clinton, deposed by several members of Congress in the ongoing Epstein probe, appeared to freeze the moment the question was asked about Epstein before his attorney jumped in quickly to rephrase the question for him before he answered.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Asked about Jeffrey Epstein allegedly saying that Bill Clinton “likes them young,” Clinton denies having any interest in “young” girls.
Q: Is an intern young?
Clinton: Yes. <a href="https://t.co/0aEym00yjP">pic.twitter.com/0aEym00yjP</a>
— Decensored News (@decensorednews) <a href="https://twitter.com/decensorednews/status/2028627983649407040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Did you know one of the witnesses who testified in the Epstein cases said that you, quote, &#8216;like them young.&#8217; Why would Epstein say that about you?&#8221; Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) posed the question.
Clinton stared straight ahead, but his attorney pounced immediately: &#8220;Are you asking his opinion? Are you asking him to think about why Mr. Epstein would say something about him?&#8221;
&#8220;Correct. Why would Epstein say that about the president?&#8221; Mace pressed.
The attorney jumped into motion again, quickly reframing the question before Clinton could begin to answer, saying, &#8220;So she&#8217;s asking you to try to be in Mr. Epstein&#8217;s mind and guess at what Mr. Epstein would have thought about —&#8221;
&#8220;First of all —&#8221; Clinton began, but was cut off as Mace interrupted.
&#8220;&#8216;Clinton likes them young,&#8217; referring to girls,&#8221; she repeated.
After a long pause, Clinton tried again.
&#8220;First of all,&#8221; he said, and then paused again before adding, &#8220;That&#8217;s not true.&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s not true?&#8221; Mace asked.
&#8220;That I have any interest in underage girls,&#8221; Clinton said.
&#8220;I didn&#8217;t say underage, Mr. President,&#8221; Mace interjected. &#8220;I said young.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s still not true,&#8221; Clinton said, his voice rising slightly as he pushed back from the table.
Mace&#8217;s follow-up question, clearly referencing his former intern Monica Lewinsky, also appeared to take the former president off guard: &#8220;Is an intern young?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Clinton conceded, but quickly added, &#8220;At my age, anybody younger than I am is young.&#8221;
Lewinsky was just 22 and working as an intern in the White House when Clinton, then 49, began an extramarital affair with her. The affair lasted 18 months and when their relationship became a public scandal in 1998, Clinton initially denied everything.
The former president, throughout the deposition, insisted that he had never witnessed Epstein doing anything that would have led him to believe that the late convicted pedophile had ever been involved in trafficking underage girls.

Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Clinton, Monica Lewinsky

WATCH: Clinton Denies He ‘Likes Them Young’ — Then Comes The Lewinsky Question

Bill Clinton

Sex Trafficking

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify on his connection to Jeffrey Epstein as part of the House Oversight Committee&#8217;s investigation into Epstein and his circle of powerful friends.
Lutnick told <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/lutnick-epstein-files-testify-house">Axios</a> on Tuesday that he volunteered for the Epstein deposition, maintaining that he did &#8220;nothing wrong&#8221; and wants &#8220;to set the record straight.&#8221; President Donald Trump&#8217;s Commerce secretary once lived next door to Epstein in Manhattan and visited Epstein&#8217;s infamous Caribbean island in 2012, four years after Epstein pled guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein&#8217;s sex crimes.
Lutnick is set to testify before the Republican-led Oversight Committee in the coming weeks, with the hearing taking place behind closed doors, similar to the hearings of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who were grilled by lawmakers over their connection to Epstein last week.
&#8220;Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,&#8221; committee chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) <a href="https://x.com/RepJamesComer/status/2028924167601463721">said</a>. &#8220;I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee. I look forward to his testimony.&#8221;
The deposition will likely focus heavily on Lutnick&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cabinet-secretary-confirms-he-visited-epsteins-island-with-wife-and-children-in-2012">lunch with Epstein</a> on the financier&#8217;s island on Christmas Eve in 2012. Last month, Lutnick testified under oath during a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing that he visited Epstein&#8217;s Little Saint James island while on vacation with his family.
&#8220;My wife was with me as were my four children and nannies. I had another couple — they were there as well with their children — and we had lunch on the island. That is true, for an hour, and then we left with all of my children, with my nannies and my wife all together,&#8221; Lutnick said.
A photo showing Lutnick with Epstein on Little Saint James was released as part of the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files dump in January, but the image was removed after it was made public. The Justice Department then released the photo again last week. A DOJ spokeswoman <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/photo-of-howard-lutnick-on-epsteins-island-was-removed-from-justice-department-files/">told</a> CBS News that the photo was flagged for nudity and taken down, but later restored after it was reviewed.
<div id="attachment_1053025" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1053025" class="wp-image-1053025 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-03T151929.602.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Justice Department</div>
Lutnick was criticized for failing to mention the 2012 lunch on Epstein&#8217;s island when he told the New York Post’s Miranda Devine last year that after he and his wife first met Epstein in 2005, he vowed to never be in the same room as him. Lutnick suggested he and his wife were unnerved after Epstein gave them a tour of his home in Manhattan and pointed out a massage table “in the middle” of his home, making remarks about getting the &#8220;right kind of massage.&#8221;
“In the six or eight steps that it takes to get from his house to my house, my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again,” Lutnick told Devine last October. “So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I wasn’t going because he’s gross.”
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) grilled Lutnick over his relationship with Epstein last month, saying, &#8220;Secretary Lutnick, I think you understand the root of concern here. It’s the way you described, very emphatically, your first encounter with him … [and] said you were disgusted and would never have any contact with him again.&#8221;
Lutnick told senators that he doesn’t remember “why we did it,” referring to the lunch with Epstein on his island, but said it was false “to suggest there was anything untoward about that.” The Trump official also said that he did not witness anything inappropriate when he was on the island with Epstein.
When asked about a potential Lutnick deposition, President Trump said last Friday that &#8220;Howard would go in and do whatever he has to say.&#8221;
&#8220;He&#8217;s a very innocent guy — doing a good job,&#8221; Trump added.
The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cabinet-secretary-confirms-he-visited-epsteins-island-with-wife-and-children-in-2012">told</a> The Daily Wire last month that President Donald Trump remains confident in Lutnick’s ability to lead the Commerce Department.
“President Trump has assembled the best and most transformative cabinet in modern history. The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce, remains focused on delivering for the American people,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai said.
Lutnick&#8217;s quick agreement to testify before the House Oversight Committee is a sharp contrast with the Clintons&#8217; months-long fight with the committee as they fought subpoenas sent by Comer and did not show up for their scheduled deposition in January. The Clintons only agreed to testify after the House began contempt proceedings.
House Democrats have also called for President Trump to testify before the Oversight Committee, arguing that Republicans &#8220;set a new precedent&#8221; when they subpoenaed the Clintons.

Howard Lutnick Enters The On-Deck Circle, Will Testify On Epstein Following Clinton Grilling

Menu