by Amanda Head
Be careful what you ask for: The most recent disclosures, posted on Friday, blows back on Democrats who sought concrete implication of Trump in the files.
Democrats' push for the release of documents surrounding convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein through a House vote appears to have backfired, as the disclosures intended to scrutinize Team Trump have instead spotlighted their own party's connections, including former President Bill Clinton's prominent mentions and salacious photos with the disgraced financier and/or young women. Clinton had long been married to Hillary Clinton at the time the photos were taken.
The boomerang also hit Virgin Islands Democrat Delegate Stacey Plaskett in a swath of 2019 text exchanges with Epstein that were revealed during a congressional hearing on Trump, in which Epstein appeared to guide her questions, prompting Republicans to highlight Democratic hypocrisy.
Kiddie porn investigation stalled while Clinton was in White House
Adding to the headache for Democrats is the fact that, in this most recent tranche of formerly-classified documents, it's been revealed that the first known opportunity to investigate, and possibly charge Epstein — with child pornography — was during Clinton's time in office, but his Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to proceed.
The latest tranche from Friday reveals a previously unacknowledged 1996 complaint to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) alleging that Epstein possessed and distributed child pornography, filed by Maria Farmer, an artist who worked for Epstein in the 1990s.
Farmer claimed that Epstein stole nude photos she had taken of her underage sisters (aged 12 and 16) for her artwork, which he then allegedly sold or distributed.
Clinton's DOJ declined to go after Epstein
The complaint, which also described explicit images of children in Epstein's home and a "modeling book" of child pornography kept in his safe, was filed during Clinton's presidency but was not pursued by the FBI or DOJ at the time, allowing Epstein's activities to continue unchecked for nearly a decade until the 2005 Palm Beach police investigation began.
The most recent disclosure of “Epstein files” released by the DOJ involved more than 13,000 files, including thousands of documents and hundreds of images related to investigations into Epstein.
The materials, posted on the DOJ's “Epstein Library” website, feature photographs of Epstein with various prominent figures like Clinton in multiple settings, evidence images like FBI boxes, and other investigative records, though potentially significant portions remain heavily redacted.
Additional batches followed in the days after the initial release on December 19, including photos, emails, and loose references to individuals like President Donald Trump in earlier flight contexts, as well as a passport with Epstein's image under a different name. The release was made to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but the DOJ withheld thousands more files and continued rolling disclosures amid ongoing reviews for victim protections.
Epstein's VIP superstar lounge
The disclosure also featured many previously unseen images of Epstein socializing with other prominent figures like Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Bill Gates and Diana Ross, alongside evidence like handwritten FBI notes detailing his predatory methods and recruitment of minors.
While many Americans were hoping for revelatory or explosive new details about Epstein's client list, virtually no major new evidence of criminal wrongdoing by high-profile associates was revealed, no comprehensive "client list" or blackmail materials, and much of the content reinforced known social connections without implicating any additional accomplices, though extensive redactions (including fully blacked-out grand jury pages) and the partial/rolling nature of the release sparked bipartisan criticism over transparency and potential selective withholding.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison (serving about 13 months with work release), fined, and required to register as a sex offender for life.
Amanda Head
Source: https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/clintons-doj-had-first-chance-prosecute-epstein-whiffed-opportunity
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