Home panel subpoenas Epstein’s property for paperwork, guide reportedly containing Trump birthday letter

Washington — The Republican chief of the Home Oversight and Authorities Reform Committee has issued a subpoena to the property of convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein searching for paperwork and different materials as a part of its ongoing examination of the federal government’s investigation into Epstein.

The subpoena issued by Rep. James Comer of Kentucky calls for the co-executors of Epstein’s property flip over to the Home committee greater than a dozen classes of paperwork and communications, together with materials from 1990 by August 2019 that references all presidents and vice presidents, movies taken from Epstein’s properties and listings in his contact and deal with books.

Lawmakers are additionally searching for entries contained inside a leather-bound guide put collectively by Epstein’s longtime affiliate, Ghislaine Maxwell, for his fiftieth birthday, the 2008 non-prosecution settlement reached with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace within the Southern District of Florida and Epstein’s will.

The Wall Avenue Journal reported final month that President Trump had allegedly signed a “bawdy” letter to Epstein within the early 2000s to mark his fiftieth birthday that stated, partly, “could daily be one other great secret.” The Journal reported that the leather-bound guide was compiled by Maxwell and included submissions from dozens of associates, together with billionaire Leslie Wexner legal professional Alan Dershowitz and Mr. Trump.

The president referred to as the letter reported by the Journal “pretend” and filed a defamation lawsuit towards the newspaper, its mum or dad firm and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over the story, searching for a minimum of $20 billion in damages.

Along with issuing the subpoena, Comer introduced that Alex Acosta, who was serving because the U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of Florida when Epstein was investigated, will voluntarily reply questions from the committee on Sept. 19.

Acosta was the highest federal prosecutor in South Florida when federal authorities investigated Epstein within the 2000s and entered right into a non-prosecution settlement that allowed him to keep away from federal prosecution and plead responsible to state prostitution fees. Acosta went on to function secretary of labor throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period, however resigned in 2019 amid questions on his dealing with of the Epstein case.