Fbi Agents Told To ‘flag’ Mentions Of Trump In Epstein Docs, Sen. Durbin Claims

FBI agents were tasked earlier this twelvemonth pinch flagging immoderate mentions of President Donald Trump while reviewing files related to deceased activity offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. Durbin included nan allegation successful a missive he sent Friday, July 18, to nan FBI and nan Department of Justice.

CNBC first reported nan letter.

Durbin asked national officials to explicate “apparent discrepancies regarding nan handling of nan Epstein files,” and a Monday, July 7, DOJ memo detailing “instructions reportedly received by FBI personnel.”

Instructed to ‘flag’ records

Durbin said nan FBI was pressured to spot 1,000 agents and different bureau labor connected 24-hour shifts to reappraisal 100,000 Epstein-related documents “that could past beryllium released connected an arbitrarily short deadline.”

Many of those assigned to nan reappraisal “lacked nan expertise to place statutorily protected accusation regarding kid victims and kid witnesses” and were “instructed to ‘flag’ immoderate records successful which President Trump was mentioned.”

“MAGA world is wholly imploding complete nan Jeffrey Epstein coverup,” Durbin wrote connected X. “The FBI was told to ‘flag’ immoderate record mentioning President Trump. Why? It’s clip for immoderate existent answers.”

As nan ranking Democrat connected nan Senate Judiciary Committee, Durbin has oversight authority complete some nan DOJ and nan FBI.

Trump’s ties to Epstein nether scrutiny

Durbin’s missive followed a study precocious Thursday, July 17, from The Wall Street Journal detailing a racy day letter that Trump allegedly gave Epstein successful 2003. Trump has denied penning nan letter, which includes a drawn image of a naked female and a statement wishing each time to “be different awesome secret.”

Trump said he does not “draw pictures.” However, The New York Times reported Friday that successful nan early 2000s, Trump regularly donated sketches and doodles to kindness auctions. The Times said galore of those drawings “appear to beryllium done pinch a thick, achromatic marker and prominently characteristic his signature” successful a mode akin to nan day statement he purportedly sent to Epstein.

Trump was photographed galore times pinch Epstein successful nan precocious 1990s and early 2000s, including astatine parties astatine Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property successful Florida. The president has said their narration ended earlier Epstein was charged pinch prostitution-related offenses successful Florida successful 2006.

Trump is threatening legal action against nan Journal complete nan communicative astir nan day greeting.

“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,” Trump wrote connected Truth Social. “These are not my words, not nan measurement I talk. Also, I don’t tie pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t people this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to writer his ass off, and that of his 3rd complaint newspaper.”