Despite years of intense investigation, including poring over bank records, emails, and interviewing victims, the FBI found ample evidence of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls but scant proof that he ran a sex trafficking ring for powerful men. Internal Justice Department records reveal why the case concluded without further charges against high-profile individuals.
A deep dive into internal Justice Department records, reviewed by the Associated Press, reveals that the FBI's extensive investigation into Jeffrey Epstein uncovered significant evidence of his sexual abuse of underage girls but surprisingly little to support claims of a broader sex trafficking ring serving powerful men. Investigators spent years meticulously examining Epstein's bank records, emails, and homes, conducting numerous victim interviews, and scrutinizing his connections to influential figures. However, videos and photos seized from his properties did not depict victims being abused or implicate others, and an examination of his financial records, including payments to entities linked to academia, finance, and global diplomacy, showed no connection to criminal activity. Despite highly public claims by victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre that Epstein "lent her" to rich friends, agents could not confirm these allegations, finding no other victims with similar stories and noting inconsistencies in Giuffre's own accounts. While some accusers mentioned abuse by other individuals, federal evidence was insufficient for charges, leading to referrals to local law enforcement. The investigation also confirmed the non-existence of a widely rumored 'client list.' Ultimately, the Justice Department closed the case without additional charges against Epstein's associates or powerful men, concluding that there wasn't enough evidence to federally prosecute them. This outcome follows Epstein's 2019 arrest and subsequent death in jail, and the conviction of his confidant Ghislaine Maxwell in 2021.
