DOJ Faces Challenges in Probing Trump-Epstein Connection Tips, Reveals Deputy AG Blanche

According to The Hill, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on Sunday that federal authorities are unable to pursue numerous tips received by the FBI concerning former President Trump’s alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

In a discussion with Dana Bash on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche explained that many of these tips were submitted anonymously or based on hearsay, describing them as “not something that can be really investigated.”

On Friday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed nearly 3.5 million additional documents related to Epstein, which included allegations about Trump. These tips were gathered by the FBI through its National Threat Operations Center.

Internal DOJ emails reveal that these tips, originating from “Trump accusers,” were collected in August. The documents indicate that while the FBI reached out to many of the initial informants, some did not provide their contact details.

However, by Sunday morning, the DOJ’s online database no longer displayed the list of tips concerning the former president. The Hill has contacted the DOJ for further clarification.

Blanche said Sunday that the index of tips also included allegations regarding other politicians and famous individuals. A search of the DOJ’s database for Trump results in more than 1,800 results, with some references to the president in articles that Epstein sent or received. 

“There are all kinds of people that are mentioned in the quote ‘Epstein files’ that we had to look at,” Blanche noted.

The DOJ, meanwhile, said Friday there was no validity to the tips regarding Trump.

“This production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the [Epstein Files Transparency] Act. Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false,” a DOJ spokesperson said in a statement.