(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump announced Friday that he would seek investigations into connections between the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and several high-profile figures, including former President Bill Clinton. Posting on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated his claim that Democrats are using the “Epstein Hoax” to distract from political failures, including the recent record-long federal government shutdown.

Trump said he would ask Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice, together with the FBI, to examine Epstein’s relationships with Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, tech executive Reid Hoffman, J.P. Morgan, Chase, and other individuals and institutions. He claimed that records show many of these figures spent significant portions of their lives associated with Epstein, likening the scrutiny to past attempts to link him to Russian election interference.

The announcement follows the release of more than 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate, including emails in which he claimed to possess damaging information about President Trump. This release came after a congressional discharge petition reached the required 218 signatures, compelling a House vote to release all remaining Epstein files.

Responding to Trump’s post, Bondi stated on social media that she had instructed Jay Clayton, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to lead the investigation. She emphasized that the Department of Justice would pursue the matter “with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. He had previously been convicted in 2008 of procuring a minor for prostitution. Survivors of Epstein’s crimes continue to seek accountability and legal support to confront their abusers and pursue justice.

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