Epstein Prosecutor Pressed on Financier’s Alleged Links to CIA, Mossad

[Thiệu Ngô]

The statement was released by the committee Friday, as it continues its review of the government's handling of the Epstein case, along with new files from the Epstein estate.

By Dan Gooding and Amanda Castro

During his vetting for labor secretary, Alexander Acosta allegedly told Trump transition officials he’d been told to “back off” the Jeffrey Epstein case—saying Epstein “belonged to intelligence." However, Acosta denied ever saying or believing that to be true in his interview with the House Oversight Committee.

Why It Matters

The latest revelations from the Oversight Committee's investigation show the issue of the investigation into the deceased financier is not going away anytime soon for the Trump administration, which has sought to put the issue to bed after the president promised the Epstein files would be released on his return to the White House.

What To Know

Acosta denied that he had said Epstein belonged to intelligence—a statement he allegedly made to Steve Bannon—and he denied that he was ever approached by members of the intelligence community about the case.

During his interview with the committee on September 19, Acosta, who was the U.S. Attorney who approved a plea deal allowing Epstein to plead guilty to one charge of solicitation in lieu of a federal investigation, repeatedly said he did not recall certain conversations or details related to the case and conversations he had had.

After being asked if U.S. intelligence services had approached Acosta about his investigation in the 2000s, he was asked if any foreign intelligence agencies had been involved in Epstein's case, in particular that of Mossad—an Israeli agency.

"If you want to know that, you need to ask the intelligence community," Acosta said. "I have not been approached by any member of the intelligence community, and I have no knowledge of his membership in the intelligence community."

Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy: Rumored Mossad Link

There have been rumors and speculation for some time that ex-Israeli officials were close to and worked with Jeffrey Epstein.

Those who have fueled the theory have suggested that Epstein worked with Israeli intelligence in exchange for his considerable wealth, or in a mutually-beneficial relationship—somethi ng his supporters have vehemently denied.

Over the years, Epstein met several times with Israeli officials, including former Prime Minister Ehud Barak from around 2013. The financier was pictured with many celebrities, wealthy businesspeople, and lawmakers over the years.

Acosta told the Oversight Committee that he had no reason to believe Epstein was an asset for either a domestic or foreign intelligence agency, adding that no one had approached him to tell him to back off the case.

Have the Epstein Files Been Released?

The files related to Epstein, which Trump and his Attorney General Pam Bondi promised would be released, have not, but the Oversight Committee has been working to release more details on his abuse and the handling of the investigation by the federal government.

Prominent Republicans, including Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, have been calling out the administration for its backtracking on the files.

On Friday, the Oversight Committee also published letters from former U.S. Attorneys Eric Holder and Merrick Garland, as well as former FBI Director James Comey, who all stated they had no knowledge useful to its investigation.

What People Are Saying

Sara Guerrero, spokesperson for Oversight Democrats, in a press release: “The transcripts of Alex Acosta’s interview confirm what we’ve known all along: he has no remorse for his mishandling of the Epstein case. He continues to deny he gave Jeffrey Epstein a sweetheart deal, despite cutting the investigation short and granting Epstein a non-prosecution agreement, even though 30 victims had been identified at the time. Because of the deal Alex Acosta gave Epstein, he was able to continue assaulting and raping young women and girls for another decade. No matter how House Republicans try to spin this, Oversight Democrats will keep pushing for the truth."

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, speaking about her stance on CNN earlier in October: "I'm talking about the Epstein list. I genuinely don't understand why there's been any effort to hide this and prevent it from coming out. But because of the efforts for years now to hide it, it certainly makes you feel afraid when you're one of the ones truly on the frontlines."