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Iony Wells, Kayla Epstein, North American Correspondent Nada Tawfik
On the 10th, the US Congress released the final investigation report into the crimes committed by the deceased former financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex crimes. It concludes that the events that occurred in 2005 and later could have been prevented had it not been for the "missteps" of federal investigators and prosecutors.
The report was compiled by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee. The investigation, based on interviews with relevant parties, depositions, and the collection and analysis of government documents and accounting records over the course of 18 months, says the criminal investigation has mishandled Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghirraine Maxwell, for "decades."
Former defendant Epstein was indicted on sex trafficking charges in 2019 and died in custody before his trial. The former defendant had previously been convicted of similar charges and registered as a sex offender.
"While some of the failures were due to poor judgment on the part of the USAO, others appeared to be the result of Epstein's broader influence," the report said.
It also alleges that the USAO in the Southern District of Florida entered into a plea deal with Epstein in 2007 without thoroughly investigating allegations in other states, allowing the former defendant to avoid prosecution by federal authorities.
It concluded that the former defendant's death in a New York jail was caused by "a series of systemic failures." Some of the failures were attributed to understaffing, overworked staff, poor record-keeping and lax security.
There are several theories surrounding the former defendant's death, including the fact that part of the surveillance camera footage was missing. The report states that these "specific theories could not be conclusively dispelled" based on testimony from those involved.
The report also said the Justice Department failed to communicate the release of the documents. The victim's personal information, which requires careful handling, was exposed due to insufficient redaction processing.
The Justice Department released millions of documents related to former defendants in January, following legislation passed by Congress.
After that, the ministry removed thousands of related documents from its website after a series of complaints from victims that their identifying information had been leaked.
The report further alleges that financial institutions such as American Express enabled human trafficking and immigration fraud by allowing the former defendants to transport foreign workers across the border using fake flights and fictitious itineraries. The BBC has contacted American Express for comment.
The House Oversight Committee, which investigated the case, said the former defendant used non-disclosure agreements to keep his victims silent. It recommended that Congress enact legislation to prevent future abuses.
"Epstein operated with impunity, protected by his powerful connections and a judicial system that repeatedly failed his victims," said Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R).
He also called on the Justice Department to "interview and re-interview key witnesses, investigate Epstein's associates who have been accused of criminal activity, and provide victims with access to their records."
The department has come under intense bipartisan scrutiny over its handling of the Epstein file.
In New Mexico, where the former defendants owned a ranch, the state's top prosecutor accused the Justice Department of obstructing their investigation.
In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Justice Department commented, ``It is with great regret that the Committee Chairman's recommendations are already being addressed.''
“The Attorney General has repeatedly stated that the Epstein case is not resolved and that there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.”
The report accused Democrats of being "obsessed" with trying to frame President Donald Trump by linking him to Epstein. ``The baseless witch hunt continued without regard to the interests of the survivors,'' the statement said.
Trump has previously said he was close with Epstein until they had a falling out in 2004. Trump's name appears thousands of times in the Epstein file. However, the appearance of a name on a document does not mean there was any wrongdoing.
The committee examined the documents and found no indication that Trump was involved, the report concluded.
Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, issued a statement accusing Republican members of "releasing a report on Jeffrey Epstein based on an incomplete investigation and without conducting any hearings."
Garcia also accused the Justice Department of withholding "more than 2.5 million pages of documents."
``We will not allow the president and his supporters to take this investigation lightly.'' Garcia is expected to become chairman of the House Oversight Committee when Democrats take control of Congress next January following last week's midterm elections.
The family of the late former accused accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre thanked Comer for the report's release on Tuesday.
"There is one line in the report that particularly stands out to us: ``Questions remain as to whether the Department of Justice has released all relevant documents,'' family members Skye and Amanda Roberts said in a statement. ``We completely agree with this and strongly urge the release of all files, totaling more than 7 million items.''
"There are many others who have not yet been identified and have not been brought to justice."
(English article US federal authorities could have prevented Epstein crimes, report finds)
