# The Epstein Files Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 17, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997 "2025-07-17T23:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/161 "2025-07-25T01:23:59Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > - Biden didn’t give two shits about a case that was over > - It isn’t in Democrats’ nature to weaponize law enforcement records > - He didn’t think DJT would ever come back to power so there was no point to expose him Or - there was no smoking gun for trump. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > the guy has already been convicted of rape trump was convicted of rape? I mean, he lost lawsuits over it, sure. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > If all of this is being done for campaign purposes, then it’s a misuse of Federal resources. Biden shouldn’t have (and hopefully didn’t) ask for it of Garland and, if he did Garland should have refused. Biden has ethics, trump doesn’t Good post. . ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/162 "2025-07-25T01:48:43Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Outstanding answer, Sage\_Rat. Many thanks. And if they ask how we know that he wasn’t hiding it to protect the Liberal Elites, then just ask why Trump - friend of Epstein, Casablancas, and Clinton, pardoner of Rod Blagojevich and union leader James Callahan - hasn’t? > [@DrDeth](#): > > trump was convicted of rape? I mean, he lost lawsuits over it, sure. Close enough for union work. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/163 "2025-07-25T02:42:33Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Trump promised to do it, despite the difficulty. Biden didn’t. > > It’s on the guy who promised to do a thing to do the thing. Trump also likes to play this grade school gotcha game where you had one chance to go after him and you didn’t take it so now you can’t ever do anything about it no backsies nana nana boo boo. In doing so, he changes the rules so that it doesn’t actually matter if he molested children or not. You can’t punish him for it because you didn’t do it the right way or at the right time. I don’t know why this sort of playground excuse works for him so often but I wish someone would call him out on it at least. I am tired of Trump being the exception to every rule up to and including child sex trafficking. > [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Biden shouldn’t have (and hopefully didn’t) ask for it of Garland and, if he did Garland should have refused. Garland may have known about this but knowing how squishy he was when it came to appearing political, I can’t see him ever touching the Epstein file. He wouldn’t even go after Trump for crimes Trump committed on live television. Digging up this old stuff from the 90’s which implicates Trump in child sex trafficking would have been way too political for Garland to even think about it. (Note that I don’t think it’s in any political to go after a child sex trafficker for child sex trafficking even if they also happen to be running for President. But Trump would be out there every day saying it was political, another childish excuse that he seems to get unlimited mileage out of.) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/164 "2025-07-25T03:37:16Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Then I’m saying this travesty is routine, as there’s no direct evidence here that cops _ever_ troll through client lists of convicted child pimps, Except for one important point. Yeah if Epstein was a regular small town pimp and child sex trafficker the cops would probably not move heaven and earth to prosecute all his clients. But on the other hand they wouldn’t let him off scot free, with the lightest possible plea deal, to avoid incriminating those clients either. That’s where the travesty is ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/165 "2025-07-25T03:40:51Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > But on the other hand they wouldn’t let him off scot free, with the lightest possible plea deal, to avoid incriminating those clients either. That’s where the travesty is Acosta claims that he let Epstein off easy in 2006 because national security people handed down the suggestion. I think the authorities should investigate that claim. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/166 "2025-07-25T04:15:20Z")
They have. [Wiki on Alex Acosta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Acosta), the guy who arranged a sweetheart deal for Epstein in 2006: “Since March, 2025 Acosta has been a member of the board of directors of [Newsmax](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newsmax) and serves as its Audit Committee chair.” jfc Also recall: > Acosta, then the [U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Attorney_for_the_Southern_District_of_Florida), agreed to a plea deal,[[29]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Acosta#cite_note-VoxDersh-29) to grant immunity from all federal criminal charges to Epstein, along with four named co-conspirators and any unnamed “potential co-conspirators”. Granting immunity to potential co-conspirators is a doozy. We discussed the enforceability of that clause earlier. Doubt has been cast on the national security rationale: > When he was vetted for his cabinet post in the Trump administration, Acosta stated “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone.”[[42]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Acosta#cite_note-42) > According to an internal review conducted by the Department of Justice’s [Office of Professional Responsibility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Professional_Responsibility) (OPR), which was released in November 2020, Acosta showed “poor judgment” … In the report, Acosta denied that Epstein was an intelligence asset. The OPR report also stated that it found no evidence that Epstein was a cooperating witness or an intelligence asset. Ok, so Acosta may have lied to Trump administration officials who arranged for his hire. An ability to lie shamelessly is certainly a skill, one that fully qualifies Acosta for employment at Newsmax. All is well. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/167 "2025-07-25T04:36:55Z")
The deeper you dig into this story, the crazier it gets. I’m changing my vote to travesty. ETA: Utterly bonkers. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/168 "2025-07-25T04:47:03Z")
[It’s a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP3uGDEPvzA) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/169 "2025-07-25T11:20:58Z")
Politico article, suggesting Trump has lost control of the narrative: skewered on South Park: [https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/24/trumps-epstein-problem-hits-pop-culture-00475611](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/07/24/trumps-epstein-problem-hits-pop-culture-00475611) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/170 "2025-07-25T11:45:12Z")
More South Park news: Trump’s minion attacks it as washed-up; apparently Trump not happy with it portraying Trump in bed with the Devil. > [@](#): > > At one point, Trump strips off his clothes to get into bed with Satan and Satan mentions he heard that the president was on the Epstein list. > > “The Epstein list? Are we still talking about that?” Trump responds. > > “Well, are you on the list or not? It’s weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax,” Satan continues. > > Trump replies, “I’m not telling everyone to relax! Relax, guy!” > **[White House slams ‘South Park’ for satirical depiction of Donald Trump -...](https://globalnews.ca/news/11302878/south-park-donald-trump-satan-white-house/amp/)** > > Suring the show's 27th season premiere, 'South Park' depicted Trump arguing with the Canadian prime minister and joining Satan in bed as a lover. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/171 "2025-07-25T12:07:17Z")
We’ll find out Satan is real when he sues South Park for defamation. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/172 "2025-07-25T12:33:49Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > What I see a lot on Facebook are MAGAssholes asking “Why didn’t Biden release the files? He had them for four years!” My guess is it’s a mix of factors: that it makes a lot of elites look bad, including prominent Dems and donors, not just Trump; and there was an ethical/legal firewall then that doesn’t exist in Trump’s world. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/173 "2025-07-25T14:32:36Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Acosta claims that he let Epstein off easy in 2006 because national security people handed down the suggestion. I think the authorities should investigate that claim. Did he specifically suggest Epstein was a _US_ intelligence asset? I’ve seen suggestions that Epstein was connected with Israel. I don’t believe them, but the idea’s out there. Israel has specifically denied it. How would anyone successfully convince voters that it’s not political to investigate a candidate during their campaign? I do agree that it should be investigated. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/174 "2025-07-25T18:14:10Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Did he specifically suggest Epstein was a _US_ intelligence asset? The original source comes from a 2019 Daily Beast piece, written a month before Epstein’s jailhouse death, by a reporter who believed Epstein to be sleazeball since 2002: > **[Jeffrey Epstein’s Sick Story Played Out for Years in Plain Sight](https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epsteins-sick-story-played-out-for-years-in-plain-sight/)** > > How did the New York financier stay nearly untouchable for decades? Vicky Ward—who has reported extensively on Epstein, and on efforts to rehabilitate him—finds out what’s changed. > “Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]?” Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day he’d had just one meeting on the Epstein case. He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.) Assuming Acosta’s account is accurate (big if) who exactly told Acosta to back off? Epstein’s attorneys? At any rate, the implication above is that we’re discussing US intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/175 "2025-07-26T12:53:26Z")
I wonder about the evidence, where exactly it is, and what sort of security surrounds it, and if Bondi or anyone authorized by her can access it unsupervised. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/176 "2025-07-27T02:11:12Z")
To quote Sgt. Friday, she’s singing like Beverly Sills: [Ghislaine Handed DOJ 100 Names in Shameless Pardon Quid Pro Quo](https://www.thedailybeast.com/ghislaine-handed-doj-100-names-in-brazen-pardon-quid-pro-quo/) ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2025, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/177 "2025-07-27T03:02:13Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > [Ghislaine Handed DOJ 100 Names in Shameless Pardon Quid Pro Quo](https://www.thedailybeast.com/ghislaine-handed-doj-100-names-in-brazen-pardon-quid-pro-quo/) The headline does not match the article. The article implies that Todd Blanche asked Maxwell about 100 individuals whose names he questioned her on. It does not say she handed Blanche a list, nor that the names came from her. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/178 "2025-07-29T21:46:11Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > > [@BobLibDem](#): > > > > What I see a lot on Facebook are MAGAssholes asking “Why didn’t Biden release the files? He had them for four years!” > > My guess is it’s a mix of factors: that it makes a lot of elites look bad, including prominent Dems and donors, not just Trump; and there was an ethical/legal firewall then that doesn’t exist in Trump’s world. Yes, Biden wouldn’t have wanted to needlessly get on the wrong side of numerous wealthy-and-powerful figures—from several nations—who might have been embarrassed by revelations in the files. And if those embarrassing revelations fell short of being prosecutable crimes, then revealing the names would have violated Justice Department rules and guidelines. (Yes, boys and girls, the Department of Justice used to have rules and guidelines!) I notice that all those who rely on “why didn’t Biden release the files” as a talking point, somehow never seem to notice that the Epstein files existed BEFORE BIDEN. It was during Trump’s first term that Epstein was indicted, tried, convicted, imprisoned, and died—all of which generated materials that enlarged The Files. Why don’t the MAGA people ask themselves why Donald didn’t reveal any of that—-_ **the key to stopping the Deep State!!!1!!!** _—-back in 2020? Donald was still President, and Epstein was dead! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/179 "2025-07-29T22:15:15Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > More South Park news: Trump’s minion attacks it as washed-up; apparently Trump not happy with it portraying Trump in bed with the Devil. Satan really needs to have more self-respect and stop getting into these abusive relationships. He seemed to be making progress after killing Saddam. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2025, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/180 "2025-07-29T23:00:05Z")
Satan said to be [suing for damages.](https://cdn.prod.dailykos.com/images/1461649/story_image/20250726edcbc-a.jpg?1753721402). Excuse me, demanding an apology. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997.md?page=10)