Home Oversight Committee subpoenas DOJ for Epstein information : NPR

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Eric Lee/Getty Pictures The Home Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the Division of Justice for information associated to its investigation of convicted sex-offender Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The subpoena, one in all 11 formally issued on Tuesday, requires "all paperwork and communications relating or referring to" Epstein and Maxwell, together with info contained of their respective courtroom circumstances, by August 19. It got here almost two weeks after Republicans on one of many panel's subcommittees joined with Democrats and voted to direct committee chair James Comer, R-Ky., to subpoena the DOJ.

"Whereas the Division undertakes efforts to uncover and publicly disclose extra info associated to Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell's circumstances, it's crucial that Congress conduct oversight of the federal authorities's enforcement of intercourse trafficking legal guidelines typically and particularly its dealing with of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell," Comer stated in a canopy letter addressed to Legal professional Common Pam Bondi.

The DOJ declined to remark.

Along with the DOJ subpoena, Comer issued subpoenas searching for testimony from a number of former authorities officers. The record contains former President Invoice Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in addition to prime legislation enforcement officers from earlier administrations, together with former FBI administrators James Comey and Robert Mueller and former attorneys common Merrick Garland and Invoice Barr.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5841x3894+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2Ff8%2Fb44563ef47b9a97118cd9940c941%2Fgettyimages-2219861401.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5841x3894+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2Ff8%2Fb44563ef47b9a97118cd9940c941%2Fgettyimages-2219861401.jpg" class="img" alt="House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., waits for the start of a hearing at the U.S. Capitol on June 12." loading="lazy"/> Home Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., waits for the beginning of a listening to on the U.S. Capitol on June 12. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures conceal caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Pictures The committee is hoping to start the depositions in mid-August and proceed them into the autumn, in response to Comer's assertion.

A possible conflict between Congress and the White Home The subpoena for DOJ information dangers a possible conflict between Congress and the White Home over the Epstein saga. For almost a month, President Trump has tried to curb mounting frustration from his base and calls for extra transparency, following the discharge of a DOJ memo asserting there was no proof of an alleged "consumer record" held by Epstein.

Trump has tried to minimize a number of the questions and criticism on the difficulty by lobbying for the discharge of grand jury testimony related to Epstein, who died in jail whereas ready to go on trial on intercourse trafficking prices in 2019. The administration can be searching for the discharge of grand jury testimony from the trial for Maxwell, who's serving a 20-year sentence on intercourse trafficking and different prices.

In a courtroom submitting submitted on Tuesday, Maxwell's attorneys pushed again towards the federal government's try to make the transcripts public, arguing it might negatively influence her efforts to have the Supreme Court docket overview her case.

"Public curiosity is inadequate when Maxwell's authorized and reputational pursuits are at stake," attorneys for Maxwell wrote. "These elements weigh closely in favor of preserving the secrecy of the grand jury supplies."

The administration has additionally tried to hunt out info instantly from Maxwell. On the finish of July, Deputy Legal professional Common Todd Blanche spent two days interviewing her behind closed doorways, a transfer authorized consultants argued was uncommon for a senior DOJ official.

The DOJ has not publicized what was mentioned within the assembly.

Final Friday, Maxwell was additionally moved from the federal jail in Florida the place she had been serving her sentence to a jail camp in Texas. Regardless of confirming the switch, the Federal Bureau of Prisons didn't present particulars on the circumstances.