In a new development that pushes back against persistent conspiracy theories, the Department of Justice and the FBI have concluded there is no evidence that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed powerful figures or maintained a “client list.”1 This official finding directly contradicts a recent claim by tech billionaire Elon Musk, who last month asserted that the real reason the Epstein client list had not been released on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency was due to Trump’s name being on it.
A memo detailing the agencies’ findings states that President Trump’s Justice Department and FBI have thoroughly reviewed the matter and found no credible evidence to support the existence of such a list.2 Furthermore, the memo reaffirms the previous conclusion that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while in a Manhattan prison.3 To support this, the administration is releasing surveillance video footage, in both raw and “enhanced” versions, which it claims indicates no one entered the area where Epstein was held on the night of his death.4 This video evidence, according to the memo, supports the medical examiner’s finding that his death was indeed a suicide.5
These findings mark the first official time that Trump’s administration has directly refuted the numerous conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s activities and the circumstances of his death. Notably, some of these theories had previously been amplified by prominent figures within the MAGA community, including Kash Patel, now the FBI’s director, and Dan Bongino, now deputy director, before their appointments to the bureau. Both Patel and Bongino have since stated their belief that Epstein killed himself.
Despite the persistent online narrative, particularly on the right, that Epstein’s crimes implicated numerous government officials, celebrities, and business leaders, and that someone may have killed him to conceal their involvement, the Department of Justice’s memo asserts otherwise.6 It also states that no one else involved in the Epstein case will face further charges. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and related offenses.7