The longtime Epstein associate, now serving a 20-year sentence, was relocated from a federal prison in Florida about a week after being interviewed by a Justice Department official.
President Trump’s remarks raised questions about his knowledge of the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, the family said in a statement.
Judges across the country have repeatedly called out Justice Department lawyers for violating their orders and even for destroying the bonds of trust that the government has traditionally been afforded in court.
Justice Department officials diverted hundreds of F.B.I. employees and federal prosecutors from their regular duties to go through the Jeffrey Epstein files at least four times — including once to flag any references to President Trump and other prominent figures.
The move demonstrates President Trump’s determination to deploy the powers of federal law enforcement to pursue a campaign of retribution against those who once sought to hold him accountable.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to use a so-called strike force is the latest in a succession of the Justice Department’s efforts to repurpose existing entities to suit the president’s political dictates.
Legal experts said the involvement of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s former lawyer who is now a top official at the Justice Department, was rife with potential pitfalls and complexities.
The latest effort by Trump subordinates is intended to quell a political crisis precipitated by the department’s announcement that it would not release more files related to the Epstein investigation.
The exchanges unfolded at a hearing in Federal District Court in Nashville intended to determine whether Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia should be freed from criminal custody as he awaits trial.
The pause imposed by the three judges emerged from the first and one of the most contentious cases involving President Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act.
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