US federal authorities could have prevented Epstein crimes, report finds

A recent congressional investigation has concluded that crimes committed by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein after 2005 could have been prevented due to failures by federal investigators and prosecutors. The Republican-led U.S. House Oversight Committee released its final report on Tuesday, highlighting the "decades-long" mishandling of criminal investigations into Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The report, based on witness interviews, government files, and financial records over a 15-month period, found that Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. It stated that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida entered into an agreement with Epstein in 2007 to evade federal prosecution, and that institutional failures at a New York prison contributed to his death.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) was also found to have failed to communicate about document releases and exposed survivors' sensitive personal information due to deficient redactions. The investigation also alleged that financial institutions like American Express aided human trafficking and immigration fraud through Epstein's use of decoy flights and dummy itineraries.

The report recommended that Congress pass legislation to prevent the weaponization of non-disclosure agreements, which Epstein allegedly used to silence survivors. Committee Chairman James Comer called on the DoJ to investigate Epstein associates and ensure survivors have access to their records. The U.S. Attorney's Office defended its actions, stating that the Epstein case is not closed and that there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking.

Democrats accused the committee of releasing an incomplete investigation and withholding over 2.5 million pages of documents.