Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin is launching an investigation into whether Jeffrey Epstein acted as an unregistered foreign agent for a number of international locations, requesting data from the Trump administration on the scope of the late convicted intercourse offender’s foreign ties.
In the Republican-controlled House, Raskin’s calls for to the Department of Justice, Department of State and intelligence neighborhood are more likely to go unanswered, however his push as the highest Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee serves as a preview for a way Democrats will pursue investigations in the event that they reclaim the House majority within the subsequent Congress, which might give them management of committees with subpoena energy.
In a new letter, Raskin factors to paperwork launched by the Department of Justice and the House Oversight Committee and says that he has discovered “substantial evidence” that Epstein “acted to advance the interests” of the Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti governments, suggested the Russian authorities and labored as a guide for a former Israeli prime minister. Raskin additionally raises considerations concerning the potential safety dangers Epstein’s foreign ties posed, given he was by no means registered as a foreign agent.
“Our examination of available evidence has already revealed damning indications of Mr. Epstein’s activities on behalf of foreign states,” Raskin wrote.
NCS has reached out for remark to the Justice Department, the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
But Raskin believes there may very well be much more details about Epstein’s foreign ties throughout the roughly 2.5 million paperwork that the Justice Department has not launched associated to Epstein. The Democratic lawmaker is requesting any data associated to Epstein’s interactions with foreign officers. In addition, Raskin can be calling on DOJ to supply a written response to handle if there has ever been an investigation into whether Epstein acted as a foreign agent.
“Despite having such extensive, well-documented personal and professional contacts with officials of foreign governments, Mr. Epstein never registered as a foreign agent,” Raskin wrote.