Topline
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a law compelling the Justice Department to release the remaining files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier who has been linked with numerous famous and powerful people in government, as well as in the business world.
Epstein has been linked to former presidents, a member of the British royal family, billionaires and tech moguls, according to recent releases of files and emails.
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Key Facts
The House Oversight Committee released thousands of emails from Epstein earlier in November, revealing connections between him and many powerful figures even after he pleaded guilty to federal charges for sex crimes in 2008.
Epstein remained in contact with many figures before his second indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019.
Trump, who has a long history with Epstein dating back to their time in Palm Beach in the 1980s, has since asked the Justice Department to investigate Democratic figures previously associated with the financier, including former President Bill Clinton.
Government Figures And World Leaders With Ties To Epstein
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: Epstein was close with the former Prince Andrew, the brother of the U.K.’s King Charles III, who has since had his royal titles removed following scandal over his relationship with Epstein. In a BBC interview in 2019, Andrew confirmed he stayed at Epstein’s home after his conviction in 2008. Andrew ended up paying to settle a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s victims, who said the duo paid her to have sex with the former royal when she was underage. The terms of the settlement were undisclosed, but later reports indicated he paid between $12 million-$15 million. Andrew stepped away from public life in 2019.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers: The economist and former Harvard president who worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations was in close contact with Epstein after his release from prison, emails released in November revealed. Summers has since stepped back from most of his public roles.
Kathryn Ruemmler: Epstein frequently corresponded with Kathryn Ruemmler, a former White House counsel for former President Barack Obama and the current general counsel for Goldman Sachs, according to the emails released in November.
Steve Bannon: Trump’s former campaign chief, former White House strategist and current podcast host was making a documentary about Epstein before his death. However, newly released emails from November appear to show the two maintained a relationship, communicating dozens of times via email.