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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Trump's DOJ issues final verdict on Jeffrey Epstein in attempt to silence swirling conspiracy theories
The FBI and the Department of Justice under Donald Trump have determined Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide and the fabled 'client list' does not exist. Sentiment was widely shared online that Epstein's 2019 death was made to look like a suicide, but was actually a murder meant to prevent him from revealing his client list or co-conspirators in the pedophilic sex trafficking conspiracy. Now, the administration is publishing a memo and plans to release a video showing their findings, backing Epstein's death as ruled by the medical examiner as a suicide by hanging. To prove that, they will put out a 'raw' and 'enhanced' video clip they say shows that nobody entered Epstein's cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center on the night he died. Investigators looked at footage from the night of August 9, 2019 at 10:40pm, when Epstein was locked in his cell until the next morning at around 6:30am, when he was found unconscious. 'The FBI enhanced the relevant footage by increasing its contrast, balancing the color, and improving its sharpness for greater clarity and viewability,' the memo reads. They also saw 'no credible evidence' that the billionaire pedophile had blackmailed 'prominent individuals' and found no 'client list.' Elon Musk had infamously alleged that Trump was 'in the Epstein files' during his wild crash-out feud with the president. No 'further disclosure' of any Epstein information 'would be appropriate or warranted,' according to the memo obtained by Axios. They said they don't want the child sex abuse material and details of Epstein's victims to meet the public. 'Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography,' it adds. The memo from the FBI and DOJ announced that no one involved in the Epstein case will follow former right-hand woman Ghislaine Maxwell to prison, as no further charges will be filed. Epstein's death led to several conspiracy theories and a general hunger for knowledge regarding his crimes. Pam Bondi began what she called 'phase one' of releasing the long-awaited, mysterious files related to pedophile financier in February . The first wave of documents have largely been circulating in the public domain for years and so far are yet to include any new bombshells, leading to great disappointment from the public. 'What you're going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information,' Bondi previewed on Fox Wednesday. 'But, it's pretty sick what that man did, along with his co-defendant,' referring to Ghislaine Maxwell. The officially declassified material included flight logs, Epstein's infamous contact book, an evidence list and a masseuse list in ten different links posted to the Department of Justice website. The contact list, which has previously circulated in various forms, shows redacted information for dozens of the Hollywood, political and fashion elite and was purportedly compiled by Epstein and his longtime confidante Maxwell. Personal contact information was redacted throughout the list. FBI Director Kash Patel had been a skeptic of the official findings behind Epstein's death, however, he told Joe Rogan that since he'd taken over the bureau, he hadn't found 'what you want,' which he described as 'some guy or gal committing felonies.' 'If I had it, I'd be the first guy to bring this case hard and fast,' Patel claimed. He added that his team at the FBI has viewed everything they have been given lawful access to from the infamous island. Epstein's 'pedo island' aka Little Saint James in the US Virgin Islands was a focal point of his horrific child-sex-trafficking operation. It has long been believed that Epstein hosted a wide array of rich and famous clients at the island. Patel said that the bureau is doing the best that they can and encouraged anyone with information to get in touch. 'I got here 100 days ago. I can't be held to account for 20 years of failures,' he said. Though Patel claimed that his FBI will 'give you everything we can' he does have some boundaries set around Epstein's victims. 'Remember, we're not gonna' re-victimize women. We're not gonna' put that s*** back out there. It's not happening because then, he wins.' Epstein took his own life in jail on August 10, 2019, awaiting trial for sex trafficking and other heinous crimes. The well-connected financier and Maxwell kept a wide circle of friends from fellow billionaires to politicians like Trump and Clinton, and entertainment icons. Maxwell herself is the daughter of the late British media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who once owned the New York Daily News. Epstein flew numerous well-heeled friends to his private Caribbean island, Little Saint James, where some of them sexually abused children. Many Americans have been waiting for the lengthy FBI investigation files to be released publicly after Trump promised to do so. Over the years, thousands of pages of records have been released through lawsuits, Epstein´s criminal dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests. In January 2024, a court unsealed a trove of documents that had been collected as evidence in a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre. The unorthodox move followed other Trump Administration efforts to empower fringe social media figures and highly partisan outlets that enthusiastically support him, at the expense of the more critical mainstream media. President Trump signed an executive order in January calling on agencies to create plans to release and distribute top-secret documents including on Epstein as well as the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert F. Kennedy and civil rights maverick Martin Luther King Jr. Lawyers for Epstein have disputed the ruling as public skepticism over his death grew in recent years, resulting in numerous conspiracy theories. The possibility of pursuing criminal charges died along with Epstein, so a judge dismissed the case on August 29, 2019 – less than three weeks after he was found hanging in his jail cell. British socialite Maxwell had a decades-long association with Epstein and was convicted in 2021 on federal charges for sex trafficking after she recruited young girls for the pedophilic ring, as well as child sex abuse and prostitution Her procurement for Epstein included bringing into the folds of the conspiracy a 14-year-old girl. Epstein had a private jet that he logged 600 flying hours on each year, usually with guests on board as part of the manifest. The Boeing 727 was nicknamed the Lolita Express by locals in the Virgin Islands because of its frequent arrivals allegedly with young girls on board. Lolita has multiple meanings, including a term for a young girl.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: 28 children among at least 82 killed; DNA being collected to identify the dead
Death toll rises to at least 82 The number of those killed in the floods is 82, but officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change, as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. Here are the deaths per county: Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Travis County: 6 Kendall: 2 George W. Bush and Barack Obama send prayers to Texas Two former presidents have offered prayers for the families in Texas. George W. Bush, who served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, said he and his wife are "holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting." Laura Bush, his wife, used to be a counsellor at Camp Mystic, where 27 people died in the floods. President Barack Obama also shared heartfelt condolences, writing in a post on X that the flash flooding is "absolutely heartbreaking." Watch: US Coast Guard rescues people stuck in flooded mobile home The Coast Guard helped rescue people in flood-affected areas of Texas, including assisting four people from a mobile home community in Leander. White House hit backs at 'disgusting' claims about weather service staffing The White House has hit back at criticism that the National Weather Service was not properly staffed. Officials have said forecasts underestimated the amount of rain, with questions being asked about what warnings were sent out to residents. Critics blamed cuts by the Trump administration. Donald Trump's administration has already ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the National Weather Service, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods. A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress. But Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Sky's US partner NBC News the accusations were "disgusting" lies to target political opponents. "False claims about the NWS have been repeatedly debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting," Jackson said. "The NWS did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance." Texas National Guard rescues 520 people It conducted 361 air evacuations with UH-60 Black Hawks and 159 ground rescues employing various vehicles and assets, the Texas military department said on X. New flash flood warning for Kerr County The flash flood warning is in place until 6.30pm local time (00.30am UK time). This comes after the governor urged drivers to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours due to more rainfall potentially causing further "rapid flash flooding events" - see our post at 21.03 for more. President says he will 'probably' visit Texas on Friday Donald Trump has said he will "probably" visit Texas on Friday, following the flash flooding that killed 79 people in the state. "We want to leave a little time," he told reporters this afternoon. "I would have done it today, but we would just be in their way, probably Friday." He said he has been in touch with the Texas governor. The president was also asked if he plans to continue with cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The US government agency coordinates the disaster response when state and local authorities are overwhelmed in the wake of a situation like the flooding in Texas. But last month, Trump said he intended to phase out FEMA after the 2025 hurricane season, saying states should be able to handle emergency resources on a local level. "We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level," he told reporters in June. "A governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can't handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn't be governor." Today, when asked about the planned cuts, he simply said: "FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they are busy working, so we will leave it at that." Mayor shares aerial images of flooding damage Joe Herring Jr., the Mayor of Kerrville, has shared images from a helicopter trip he took yesterday to survey the damage. Number of dead is now 79 - but that figure is still likely to change There are now 79 people dead across Texas following the flash flooding on 4 July. Below are the numbers in each county - Kerr county remains the worst affected, with 27 dead at Camp Mystic alone. Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Kendall: 1 Travis: 4 Officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change (and it has changed throughout the day), as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. 'We know questions are being asked about emergency notifications' There are still ten children and one camp counsellor missing from Camp Mystic, the county's sheriff has said. Sheriff Larry Leitha says there have been 68 deaths in Kerr County, including 40 adults and 28 children. Of those, eighteen adults and ten children have yet to be identified. Officials will undertake a full review of warning systems in place. "We know questions are being asked about the emergency notifications," city manager Dalton Rice adds. "We will take clear steps to strengthen future preparedness," he said. The next update from Kerr County officials will take place at 4pm tomorrow UK time (10am local time), unless there is a "major update" before then, officials said as they drew the press conference to a close.
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Texas flash flooding: 21 children among at least 82 killed; DNA being collected to identify the dead
Death toll rises to at least 82 The number of those killed in the floods is 82, but officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change, as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. Here are the deaths per county: Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Travis County: 6 Kendall: 2 George W. Bush and Barack Obama send prayers to Texas Two former presidents have offered prayers for the families in Texas. George W. Bush, who served as governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, said he and his wife are "holding up our fellow Texans who are hurting." Laura Bush, his wife, used to be a counsellor at Camp Mystic, where 27 people died in the floods. President Barack Obama also shared heartfelt condolences, writing in a post on X that the flash flooding is "absolutely heartbreaking." Watch: US Coast Guard rescues people stuck in flooded mobile home The Coast Guard helped rescue people in flood-affected areas of Texas, including assisting four people from a mobile home community in Leander. White House hit backs at 'disgusting' claims about weather service staffing The White House has hit back at criticism that the National Weather Service was not properly staffed. Officials have said forecasts underestimated the amount of rain, with questions being asked about what warnings were sent out to residents. Critics blamed cuts by the Trump administration. Donald Trump's administration has already ordered 800 job cuts at the science and climate organisation NOAA, the parent organisation of the National Weather Service, which predicts and warns about extreme weather like the Texas floods. A 30% cut to its budget is also in the pipeline, subject to approval by Congress. But Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, told Sky's US partner NBC News the accusations were "disgusting" lies to target political opponents. "False claims about the NWS have been repeatedly debunked by meteorologists, experts, and other public reporting," Jackson said. "The NWS did their job, even issuing a flood watch more than 12 hours in advance." Texas National Guard rescues 520 people It conducted 361 air evacuations with UH-60 Black Hawks and 159 ground rescues employing various vehicles and assets, the Texas military department said on X. New flash flood warning for Kerr County The flash flood warning is in place until 6.30pm local time (00.30am UK time). This comes after the governor urged drivers to be "extraordinarily cautious" for the next 48 hours due to more rainfall potentially causing further "rapid flash flooding events" - see our post at 21.03 for more. President says he will 'probably' visit Texas on Friday Donald Trump has said he will "probably" visit Texas on Friday, following the flash flooding that killed 79 people in the state. "We want to leave a little time," he told reporters this afternoon. "I would have done it today, but we would just be in their way, probably Friday." He said he has been in touch with the Texas governor. The president was also asked if he plans to continue with cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The US government agency coordinates the disaster response when state and local authorities are overwhelmed in the wake of a situation like the flooding in Texas. But last month, Trump said he intended to phase out FEMA after the 2025 hurricane season, saying states should be able to handle emergency resources on a local level. "We want to wean off of FEMA, and we want to bring it down to the state level," he told reporters in June. "A governor should be able to handle it, and frankly, if they can't handle it, the aftermath, then maybe they shouldn't be governor." Today, when asked about the planned cuts, he simply said: "FEMA is something we can talk about later, but right now they are busy working, so we will leave it at that." Mayor shares aerial images of flooding damage Joe Herring Jr., the Mayor of Kerrville, has shared images from a helicopter trip he took yesterday to survey the damage. Number of dead is now 79 - but that figure is still likely to change There are now 79 people dead across Texas following the flash flooding on 4 July. Below are the numbers in each county - Kerr county remains the worst affected, with 27 dead at Camp Mystic alone. Kerr: 68 Williamson: 1 Burnet: 4 Tom Green: 1 Kendall: 1 Travis: 4 Officials have repeatedly warned that this figure is likely to change (and it has changed throughout the day), as rescuers work night and day to find survivors and recover bodies. 'We know questions are being asked about emergency notifications' There are still ten children and one camp counsellor missing from Camp Mystic, the county's sheriff has said. Sheriff Larry Leitha says there have been 68 deaths in Kerr County, including 40 adults and 28 children. Of those, eighteen adults and ten children have yet to be identified. Officials will undertake a full review of warning systems in place. "We know questions are being asked about the emergency notifications," city manager Dalton Rice adds. "We will take clear steps to strengthen future preparedness," he said. The next update from Kerr County officials will take place at 4pm tomorrow UK time (10am local time), unless there is a "major update" before then, officials said as they drew the press conference to a close.
