Last weekend, jailed child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein apparently killed himself in a New York jail, robbing those concerned with dealing with his crimes of the opportunity to have him face a semblance of further justice. Now, Attorney General William Barr has joined those speaking out about the fact that security ever let Epstein have the opportunity to kill himself in the first place, denouncing apparent “serious irregularities” at the jail where he was held in remarks offered to a national policing conference in New Orleans this Monday. The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the death, and in that ongoing probe’s shadow, Barr doesn’t seem to have himself offered many further details.
According to one anonymous source speaking to CNN, “Epstein’s cell was not regularly monitored the night he was believed to have killed himself, and the two guards monitoring the unit he was held in were both on overtime.” He had apparently been on suicide watch following an apparent recent attempt at killing himself, but that had been lifted.
Explaining he was “appalled” and “angry” to learn about what happened, Barr shared:
‘We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation… Let me assure you that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The victims deserve justice and they will get it.’
Watch:
Barr’s boss President Donald Trump has suggested that former President (and political rival) Bill Clinton is among those who were at the very least “complicit” with Epstein. Over the weekend, as news rolled in surrounding the politically well-connected criminal’s death, he retweeted a post including the hashtag “#ClintonBodyCount,” which carries the suggestion that the Clintons were somehow responsible for Epstein’s death in an effort to cover up their supposed involvement in his criminal activity. Pressed over the weekend about the president’s behavior, longtime Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway offered the barely even half-hearted excuse that her boss just “wants to see everything investigated.”
To be clear, there is no apparent concrete evidence linking the Clintons to any kind of criminal activity surrounding Epstein, let alone to his death.
If we’re going to start turning personal association into criminal liability — Trump should be considered just as suspect, considering the years he palled around with the now dead Epstein and the quote he even offered New York Magazine in the early 2000s lauding the financier as a “terrific guy.” There is absolutely no appropriateness let alone practical justification for turning Epstein’s crimes into a political prop, although that’s exactly what Trump has done.
Considering these issues, it wouldn’t be out of place for someone to have concern about how Trump’s own team might handle an investigation into Epstein’s death. Would they focus only on trying to dig up some kind of political dirt, while protecting those perhaps allied with the president or Trump himself? Time will tell. Barr is definitely not the only one on this case — other proceedings elsewhere remain ongoing, like a case in Florida surrounding a corrupt plea deal then-U.S. Attorney turned Trump administration official Alex Acosta struck with Epstein some years ago.
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