Want Real Epstein Accountability? Look Overseas

There’s a lot for decent people to be furious about in this good, great country of ours these days, and at the very top of that list is the complete lack of accountability for criminality among the rich and powerful. We all know that’s nothing new, but it’s now so blatant, so pervasive, so utterly shameless, it almost seems unreal. The reaction to the Jeffrey Epstein files is the latest and greatest example of this.

Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche has said the government’s review of the Epstein files is over, and there are no grounds for new prosecutions. “There’s a lot of correspondence. There’s a lot of emails. There’s a lot of photographs,” Blanche said. “But that doesn’t allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody.”

Excuse me…what? So first you decided to close the case without releasing all the files, which you promised to release on Day One. Then, the public pressured Congress to force you to release the files, which you dragged your feet on for over a month past the deadline. Then, you still didn’t release all the files, and you redacted potential perpetrators’ names while leaving victims’ names unprotected. And now you tell us, “Nothing to see here?”

Bullshit.

The House is moving ahead with its own inquiry, with the Clintons scheduled to testify under threat of a contempt of Congress charge. That’s all well and good, but will Donald Trump face the same? That’s my question. Because his name appears in those documents over 6,000 times, despite his assertion that “nothing came out about me,” and it’s “really time for the country to get on to something else.” Doesn’t exactly sound like the words of an innocent public servant concerned about the thousands of young women victimized by Epstein and his high and mighty friends around the world.

By the way, some of those friends include other Trump associates who are working or have worked in his administration. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had this to say to the New York Post back in October about Epstein, his former next-door neighbor: “[M]y wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again. So I was never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy. That guy was there, I wasn’t going ’cause he is gross.” That was in 2005, according to Lutnick. But the newly released files show Lutnick and Epstein emailing in 2012 about a possible boat trip to Epstein’s private island.

“Hi Jeff, We are landing in St. Thomas early Saturday afternoon and planning to head over to St. Bart’s/Anguilla on Monday at some point. Where are you located (what is exact location for my captain)? Does Sunday evening for dinner sound good?” Lutnick wrote, adding that his party included himself, his wife, another couple, and their four minor children. Epstein invited them to a Sunday lunch, and Lutnick replied, “See you then.”

Elon Musk, the former head of the Department of Government Efficiency, told Vanity Fair in 2019 that Epstein “tried repeatedly to get me to visit his island. I declined.” But the new documents released last week include emails from Musk asking Epstein about a potential visit to his island in 2012 and 2013. In a November 2012 email, Epstein wrote to Musk, “how many people will you be for the heli to the island.” Musk replied, “Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”

Now, none of this means that these guys are pedophiles, but it at least warrants further investigation, no?

As the U.S. beats innocent migrants to a pulp and shoots American citizens who try to help them, it is obviously struggling with investigating and punishing actual bad guys. But that’s not the case everywhere...