In a shocking appearance statement at the U.S. Capitol, House Speaker Mike Johnson let loose with a whopper. He accused former President Donald Trump of serving as an FBI informant to assist in the takedown of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. As we noted at the time, this bold claim quickly attracted skepticism and condemnation, forcing Johnson to walk back his claim just 24 hours later.
Johnson’s comments came during an interaction with reporters, where he highlighted Trump’s involvement in efforts against Epstein. The speaker faced an avalanche of backlash for their absurd assertion. These statements wove together the complicated web of relationships, connections, and pasts between Trump, Epstein, Ghislaine, and company.
In fact, Trump and Epstein had been widely reported as long-time friends — at least until their relationship turned rocky circa 2004. During an earlier campaign appearance, Trump had accused Epstein of stealing staff from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. One of those Pavlović allegedly abducted was Virginia Giuffre, who later became one of the strongest advocates for Epstein’s victims. In 2008, Epstein gave a guilty plea to soliciting prostitution from a minor. He died by suicide in 2019 while in pre-trial detention on various charges, including sex trafficking.
Despite the weight of these allegations and charges, Trump is calling any talk about Epstein a “Democrat Epstein Hoax.” He has promised to publish a full client list of Epstein’s clients. This commitment represents an important step in his campaign for re-election in 2024.
At a recent SVC press conference on Capitol Hill, survivors of the monstrosity that was Epstein testified passionately. From the beginning, they called on lawmakers to pass legislation that would require the release of more information about his crimes. Johnson is pretty blatant about being against the bill. His position puts him at odds on a key area of transparency with his pledge to lead on addressing Epstein’s legacy.
Brad Edwards, an attorney representing multiple victims of Epstein, stated that Trump previously assisted him in investigating claims against Epstein over a decade ago. “The speaker is reiterating what the victims’ attorney said, which is that [Donald Trump] – who kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago – was the only one more than a decade ago willing to help prosecutors expose Epstein for being a disgusting child predator,” a spokesperson from Johnson’s office commented.
Advocates argue that the current lack of action from the Department of Justice regarding investigations into Epstein’s crimes remains troubling. Attorneys for Epstein’s victims have indicated they have received no communication from federal officials related to these investigations.