Trump admin shoots itself in the foot by setting up Dem Epstein backfire: ex-prosecutor
The rollout of Jeffrey Epstein's files could be headed for an unsatisfying conclusion, according to a political analyst who says people should temper their expectations.
The Department of Justice has slowly released the convicted sex offender's documents, and, according to Politico writer Ankush Khardori, there may not be enough information in the remaining files to prosecute persons of interest. Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing, and many of those identified in the files or in previous releases related to Epstein have expressly denied any wrongdoing.
Khardori wrote, "All of this is deeply unsatisfying, particularly for the women who were so horribly abused by Epstein and Maxwell.
"As other observers have noted, the desire for more legal accountability for Epstein’s sex crimes is perfectly understandable, but these are difficult cases to investigate and prosecute in the ordinary course, and the passage of time and the onslaught of political activity, political opportunism and public commentary do not help."
Whether further details from the Epstein files can be gleaned at this point and investigated is another matter entirely, Khardori suggests, as it would mark a huge reversal for the DoJ and, by extension, Donald Trump's administration.
Khardori wrote, "Even if the Justice Department were somehow to reverse course and charge someone new — perhaps some Democrats, as Trump has proposed — the defense would have an argument based on the department’s own prior statements that the case was not brought on the merits but was contrived in order to satisfy the public’s desire to see someone else go to prison for Epstein’s crimes.
"The argument would be particularly potent if the evidence in the case was based on information that was already in the government’s possession at the time of the release.
"Meanwhile, serious questions remain about whether the Trump administration is covering up information in the documents pertaining to the president.
"That was the focus of Washington last summer, but it has at times been overtaken by a more provocative claim — that there is a sprawling, bipartisan 'Epstein class' of people who, in the words of Khanna, traveled to a 'rape island, where rich and powerful men were abusing young girls with impunity,' and who would be revealed to the public once the documents became public."