Prosecutors may soon get their hands on the notorious “birthday book” of the disgraced late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, which may provide details about his social connections.
On Friday, House Oversight Committee ranking member and Democrat from California, Robert Garcia, told MSNBC that Epstein’s estate “is actually going to actually now get us that book and a bunch of other documents that they have that’s not actually been reported yet.” The lawmakers are anticipating the book and its accompanying materials’ arrival on September 8, he said.
While speaking with senators on Capitol Hill next week, Garcia informed MSNBC that “many of the victims” of Epstein will “highlight their stories.” He remained mum on who the politicians or accusers were planning to meet with.
Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, verified the date of release in his subpoena. The subpoena specifies a precise time of 12 p.m. on September 8th.
“The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is reviewing the possible mismanagement of the federal government’s investigation of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein and Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell, the circumstances and subsequent investigations of Mr. Epstein’s death, the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the federal government to effectively combat them, and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials,” Comer wrote in a letter accompanying the request for information.
The claimed ‘birthday book’ that Ms. Maxwell supposedly created for Mr. Epstein is among the records that the estate of Mr. Epstein has access to, according to recent reports… “The federal government’s handling of the investigation and prosecution of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell, as well as its enforcement of sex trafficking laws generally, must be closely monitored by Congress,” Comer continued.
On Monday, Democrats in the House Oversight Committee issued a statement endorsing the book subpoena and demanding testimony from Alex Acosta, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida and Trump’s secretary of labor. A transcribed, closed-door interview with him is scheduled for next month.
Lawmakers have asked for the testimony of many former high-ranking officials, including former Attorney General Bill Barr, while a federal investigation into the matter is underway. Some Democrats, including Virginia’s Suhas Subramanyam and Texas’s Jasmine Crockett, were unhappy with the questions asked of Barr by Republicans during his testimony before legislators.
Comer pleaded with Democrats not to politicize an impartial probe, claiming that charges lacked any basis. The rift widened when Comer stated that Barr was unaware of, and did not think there was any evidence of, any misconduct by President Trump in relation to Epstein.
That was Garcia’s opinion. Barr did not exonerate Trump, he stated in a statement, even though he was absent during the deposition.