Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said it is “not a crime to party” with Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to Laura Ingraham on her eponymous Fox News show The Ingraham Angle, Blanche suggested that some evidence in the Epstein files may not be enough to lead to prosecutions.
“But, as you know, it is not a crime to party with Mr Epstein,” Blanche told Ingraham. “And so, as horrible as it is, it’s not a crime to email with Mr Epstein.
“And some of these men may have done horrible things. And, if we have evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will.
“But it’s also the kind of thing that the American people need to understand that it isn’t a crime to party with Mr Epstein. It isn’t a crime to have lunch on his island.”
President Donald Trump has long made the same point, acknowledging that while he had moved in the same social circles as Epstein for a time, he had no idea about his criminal activities.
A public firestorm has erupted over the latest release by the Justice Department of millions of files related to the case of the convicted pedophile, shedding further light on his expansive network of high-profile figures.
The latest dump – expected to be the last – contains some three million pages, including 180,000 images and some 2,000 videos attached to the case. It brings the total to 3.5m documents released.
Initial findings include the shocking revelation that Epstein may have fathered a child around 15 years ago, as well as emails from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince, inviting Epstein to Buckingham Palace years after the financier was convicted of sex crimes.
In undated images, the royal appears to kneel on the ground as he leans over an unidentified woman, while another angle shows the woman’s abdomen being touched. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has since said Andrew ‘should be prepared’ to testify before Congress about his links to Epstein.
Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the U.S., resigned from the Labour Party on Sunday after more of his correspondence with Epstein emerged. He said he believed claims that Epstein sent him tens of thousands of dollars years ago were false and would need investigating.
Messages from billionaire Elon Musk asked Epstein when his wildest party would be and discussed visiting his notorious island, with the phrase “girls FTW!” included in one email. It is unclear whether Musk, who is not accused of wrongdoing, ever visited.
Norway’s prime minister has called on the country’s crown princess, Mette-Marit, to comment on the “truth” of her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein after criticizing her “poor judgment,” after the documents revealed she had remained friends with the financier after he was convicted.
And in another twist, both Bill and Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in a House investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, reversing their position days after the deluge of documents was made public.
However, while the Epstein files may continue to damage reputations and careers, Blanche was evasive when asked by Ingraham whether some of the photos suggested more wrongdoing than simply lunching or partying with Epstein.
“Unfortunately, photos can’t speak,” he said. “And so we need witnesses and we need evidence,” before stating that all videos from the files have been released.
He did caveat that claim, though.
“Not of any individuals, men having improper sex or anything with victims,” he said. “But there’s videos. They’re all released for everybody to see.”
