The Epstein Files Hoax.

Donald Trump has repeatedly called the investigation into convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein a “hoax”, perpetrated by his political enemies.  In cooperation with his congressional allies, Trump has successfully delayed the release of all the Epstein files in the possession of the Department of Justice.  In a stunning reversal, last Wednesday Trump signed into law the “Epstein Files Transparency Act”. The act compels the Attorney General to release all the Epstein files in the government’s possession within 30 days. The real hoax is that the recently signed act is just another smoke screen and a complete and unredacted set of the files will never be made public by the Trump Administration.  
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I wish that the country could move on from the Epstein files and focus on more important matters. The files have dominated the headlines and diverted too much time, energy and resources from Washington D.C. at a time when real issues are being ignored. Average America’s are suffering from an affordability crisis; tariffs, inflation and healthcare costs are causing economic uncertainty, and critical issues such as the ballooning national debt, long term viability of Social Security and Medicare, and a looming war with Venezuela are being ignored. 

​But it is not yet time to turn the page on the Epstein files. The issue remains as important as ever, and here’s why:

1. The victims of Jeffrey Epstein have never received the justice they are due.
2. Donald Trump is involved in a cover-up to prevent the release of the files. 

                     Timeline of Events​:

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• In August 2019 Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Prison officials declared the death a suicide by hanging. Within hours conspiracy theories began to emerge that Epstein had been murdered to silence him and to conceal the names of powerful people on a secret client list. Donald Trump helped fuel the conspiracy through speeches and media posts implicating the Clintons in Epstein’s death. Many of Trump’s supporters pushed the conspiracy theory during the 2024 presidential campaign and expected Trump to release all government files on Epstein once back in office.  
• After taking office in January, Trump directed the Department of Justice to conduct a thorough review of the Epstein files in its possession.
• In February Attorney General Pam Bondi told a Fox News reporter that the Epstein client list was sitting on her desk awaiting review. She would later recant that claim. 

• Later in February the Department of Justice released binders labeled “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to a group of far-right influencers. It was later determined that most of these files were already in the public domain and that nothing new was revealed.
• In May Attorney General Pam Bondi informs Trump that his name and those of other high-profile people appeared in the Epstein files. This information was kept from the public.
• In July the Department of Justice and FBI released its findings of “an exhaustive review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein”. The conclusions reached were that Epstein had died of suicide, no client list existed, and that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted”. In other words, “case closed”. But MAGA loyalists were having none of it, demanded full transparency, and would not let the issue die.
• Late in July Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with convicted sex offender and Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell in the Florida prison where she was serving a 20-year sentence. During nine hours of interviews Maxwell maintained that Trump was a perfect gentleman during all of her interactions with him and that she never saw him doing anything inappropriate.  This all sounds good from a woman who is seeking a presidential pardon from Trump. For the record, Maxwell had previously been convicted of perjury for making false statements to prosecutors about her knowledge of Epstein’s scheme to recruit underage girls for sexual purposes. 
• A few days later Maxwell was transferred to the all-women Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, a minimum -security facility for non-violent and white-collar criminals. This prison is sometimes referred to as “Club Fed” due to its low security and many privileges afforded to inmates. Was Maxwell’s transfer a reward for her silence about Trump’s involvement with Epstein? It’s hard to conclude otherwise.

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• In early September Representative Thomas Massie, Republican from Kentucky, introduced a discharge petition in the House to force a vote on a bill he introduced in July requiring the government to release all available Epstein files. The discharge petition would allow House members to vote on the bill over the objections of Speaker Johnson if 218 members, a majority, supported it.   
• All term Speaker Mike Johnson, who runs the House of Representatives in lockstep with the Trump Administration, had done everything he could to prevent a vote on the release of the Epstein files. He put the House in early recess last summer to prevent a vote and used the government shutdown to prevent the swearing in of newly elected Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva.
• On November 12 Adelita Grijalva was officially sworn in by Speaker Johnson seven weeks after she won an open House seat in a special election. That same day Representative Grijalva became the 218th signatory to the discharge petition to force a floor vote on the release of the Epstein files. 

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• On November 15, at Trump’s request, Attorney General Pam Bondi opened an investigation to determine “Jeffrey Epstein’s involvement and relationship with Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan Chase, and many other people and institutions to determine what was going on with them, and him”.
• On November 16, realizing that the sentiment in Congress had turned against him, Trump reversed course and called on the House Republicans to vote for the release of the Epstein files.
• On November 18 the House passed the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” by an overwhelming margin of 427-1.
• On November 19 the Senate passed the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” and forwarded it to President Trump who signed it into law that day.

Epstein Files Transparency Act: The act compels the Attorney General to make publicly available within 30 days all unclassified records, documents and communications in the possession of the Department of Justice related to the investigations and prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
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The act permits the Department of Justice to withhold or redact portions of the records that pertain to personal information about the victims and materials that would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.

The Cover-up Continues: Trump is once again shielded against what the Epstein files might reveal about his sordid past. He directed the Attorney General to reopen the investigation into the Epstein files once it became clear that the “Epstein Files Transparency Act” would pass. Trump was keenly aware that an active investigation into the contents of the files would prevent them from being released. As long as Trump is in the White House his loyalists will circle the wagons and prevent any damaging information about him from being released. ​

The country’s obsession with the Epstein files is not good for the Trump Administration, but more importantly it isn’t good for the country. Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted, and valuable Department of Justice resources have been tied up investigating the files, ostensibly to protect their president. Investigations surrounding the Epstein files have tied the Congress in knots and the victims of Epstein’s crimes are no closer to receiving justice.

For the sake of the victims, I hope that the truth hidden in all the Epstein files is eventually released. In the meantime, I hope that they follow through with their threat to compile and release their own “client list” of people who participated in Epstein’s abuse of young girls and women. It would be sweet justice to have the names on the list read out loud on the floor of the House of Representatives and recorded into the congressional record.
 
 
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Armchair American