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On Friday, Pam Bondi appointed interim US attorney Jay Clayton to head an probe into political adversaries of the President and their connections with Jeffrey Epstein. This decision came just after the president directed her to begin the investigation.

During an announcement, the Attorney General highlighted Clayton as “among the nation’s top prosecutors”. The official stated, “The department will handle this matter promptly and thoroughly to provide clarity for citizens.”

This action appears to contradict a recent memorandum from justice department officials which indicated that documents related to Epstein did not warrant further inquiries. As per the memo, authorities “found no proof justifying probes into uncharged individuals”

Trump Calls for Scrutiny of Democrats in the Epstein Matter

The announcement coincides with growing pressure from the president on lawmakers to block the public disclosure of files concerning Epstein ahead of an key congressional decision next week. Many Republicans are anticipated to support the disclosure.

Newly public emails from Epstein have brought attention to the president’s previous connections with the convicted criminal, including details that he was more aware of Epstein’s actions than earlier acknowledged.

On Friday, Trump announced he would direct the DOJ to examine Epstein’s ties with Democrats, specifically naming Bill Clinton, Larry Summers and Reid Hoffman. Interestingly, Trump also referred to the “Epstein situation” as a “scam”.

Additional Updates from Friday

• Trump stated he would take legal action against the BBC, despite a formal apology from the network. He claimed the lawsuit could seek billions in damages.
• Epstein allegedly advised Steve Bannon during a 2018 media campaign to support Trump’s policies. Communications made public show Epstein’s involvement in advising Bannon.
• US military are developing plans for a partitioned Gaza, with a “green zone” under international and Israeli control and a “red zone” left in ruins.
• State officials have reopened the last remaining criminal case against Trump after naming a replacement attorney.
• The President changed trade measures by cutting duties on food imports like various food items to address rising costs.
• The two nations concluded a deal to lower tariffs on products from Switzerland from a significant decrease.

Additional developments featured appeals to safeguard public lands, criticism of an monitoring group, and a judge’s decision for a resolution in the Purdue Pharma lawsuit.