Epstein Case: Closed and Covered Up, By Charles Taylor (Florida)

On July 6, 2025, the U.S. Justice Department dropped a bombshell with a two-page memo declaring the Jeffrey Epstein case officially closed, no further charges, no client list, no elite names exposed, and a reaffirmed suicide ruling. Authored by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel under the Trump administration, this declaration has sparked outrage and scepticism, as detailed in Christensen's compelling Substack piece on Nation First. The memo clashes with a mountain of evidence suggesting a cover-up, including surveillance footage gaps, intelligence ties, victim testimonies, and financial trails. This summary unpacks the key points, contradictions, and unresolved questions, assessing whether the case is truly closed or merely buried.

The DOJ memo asserts that after an "exhaustive review," no credible evidence supports a client list, Epstein's operation as a lone actor, or intelligence agency involvement. It confirms his death by suicide in 2019, aligning with prior conclusions despite public doubts. This closure comes five years after Epstein's arrest on sex trafficking charges and his mysterious death in a Manhattan jail cell, which ignited global suspicion of foul play. The timing, released during the Fourth of July weekend, raises eyebrows, suggesting a deliberate attempt to minimise scrutiny.

Christensen highlights a stark disconnect between the memo and available facts. Earlier promises from Trump administration officials, including Bondi's Fox News appearance in February 2025 touting surveillance footage and a client list, have evaporated. The promised "Phase II" release of evidence, featuring names, footage, and logs from Little St. James Island, never materialised, replaced by heavily redacted "Phase I" binders. A one-minute gap in CCTV footage from Epstein's death, alongside malfunctioning cameras and corrupted backup drives, undermines the suicide narrative. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino's May 2025 promise to release clear video has also gone unfulfilled, with no independent review granted.

Financial records further complicate the story. Emails from 2016-17 show Leon Black pressured for an additional $40 million by Epstein, implying blackmail. Jes Staley's 1,200 emails with Epstein, including discussions of young women and trips to his island, led to a $290 million JPMorgan settlement. Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures received a $40 million investment from Epstein, now worth $170 million, yet Thiel remains silent. These ties suggest a network far beyond a solitary predator.

The intelligence angle adds another layer of intrigue. Former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's 2016 remark to Trump transition officials, that Epstein "belonged to intelligence," and Ari Ben-Menashe's claim of a Mossad-connected kompromat operation point to espionage. Rudy Giuliani's June 2025 hint at "top-secret national security operations" in the files reinforces this. Yet the DOJ memo dismisses any such links, offering no explanation for the contradiction.

Maria Farmer's June 2025 lawsuit against the FBI alleges she reported Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes in 1996, providing names and evidence of underage victims, only to be ignored. Her claims, backed by 2006 FBI field notes, suggest decades of federal negligence or complicity. Maxwell's ongoing secret cooperation, potentially involving names and videos, further contradicts the closure claim, as does the sealing of the "black book" and 300 GB of seized digital evidence.

Epstein's estate, valued at over $200 million, prioritises payouts to his ex-girlfriend Karyna Shuliak and legal team via the "1953 Trust," leaving victims, who settled for $500,000 to $2 million and waived further claims, empty-handed. Christensen poses five critical questions: the unexplained CCTV gap, the DOJ's refusal to pursue asset forfeiture, uninvestigated intelligence ties, unreleased digital evidence, and Maxwell's ongoing cooperation. These gaps fuel the cover-up theory.

The Trump administration's decision to close the case aligns with its pattern of controlling narratives, as seen in redacted releases and unfulfilled promises. The memo's timing and brevity, 735 words dismissing years of investigation, smack of political expediency, possibly to protect allies or avoid national security embarrassment. Evidence of surveillance systems, blackmail leverage, and federal inaction supports Christensen's view that the case is "buried, not closed." The lack of transparency, especially on footage and files, erodes credibility, echoing historical scandals like Watergate.

Yet, the administration's defenders might argue that limited resources or legal constraints necessitated closure, with suicide evidence deemed sufficient. This view struggles against the weight of contradictions, malfunctioning cameras, missing minutes, and elite financial ties, suggesting a coordinated effort to shield powerful figures.

Christensen's analysis effectively stitches together stray threads into a damning narrative: the Epstein case is far from resolved. The DOJ memo's declaration of closure clashes with victim lawsuits, financial trails, intelligence hints, and unaddressed evidence. Whether driven by corruption, incompetence, or national security, the decision smells of a cover-up. As Christensen notes, every burial leaves a grave marker, public pressure, congressional subpoenas, and Maxwell's cooperation may yet unearth the truth. For now, the case remains a gaping wound in America's justice system.

https://nationfirst.substack.com/p/epstein-case-closed-or-covered-upl

"On July 6, 2025, in the dead zone of the Fourth of July long weekend, the U.S. Justice Department quietly published a two-page memo that stunned even hardened political observers. In just 735 words, the federal government declared the Jeffrey Epstein case officially closed. No further charges. No client list. No high-profile names to be exposed. No loose ends.

But the facts tell another story. And it's messier, darker, and far from over

The DOJ quietly ended the Epstein investigation, declaring no further charges, no client list, and confirming his death as suicide.

This contradicts evidence of powerful connections, surveillance systems, missing footage, and prior claims of pending disclosures.

Epstein's financial records, blackmail operations, and ties to elites like Leon Black, Jes Staley, and Peter Thiel suggest deeper complicity.

Intelligence links and victim lawsuits accuse federal agencies of years-long negligence, suppression, and potential collaboration.

Despite claims of closure, hidden evidence, sealed files, and Maxwell's secret cooperation reveal the case is far from resolved.

WHO WAS JEFFREY EPSTEIN?

Jeffrey Epstein was a billionaire financier, a registered sex offender, and, according to scores of victim testimonies, one of the most prolific sex traffickers in American history. He cultivated connections with presidents, prime ministers, royalty, billionaires, academics, and celebrities. Behind his polished image was a network of properties, staff, and shell companies used to lure, abuse, and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14.

He was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. But before his trial could begin, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in Manhattan. The official cause: suicide. He was 66.

The death sparked an international outcry, with many doubting the official story. Rumors of blackmail, intelligence operations, secret recordings, and elite involvement swirled. For years, the public was promised accountability. We were told the "client list" was coming. That the files would be unsealed. That justice would be done.

Instead, five years later, the case has been abruptly shut down. And what has emerged since suggests not closure, but cover-up.

THE MEMO THAT SAYS: NOTHING TO SEE HERE

Now, an official memo, signed off by Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, both appointed by President Donald Trump, claims that after exhaustive reviews, no further charges are warranted.

It asserts:

There is no credible evidence of a "client list."

Epstein acted largely alone.

No video evidence of wrongdoing by elites exists.

There is "no link" to intelligence agencies.

The official cause of death is confirmed as suicide.

This runs directly counter to multiple facts, leaked files, sworn victim statements, financial records, and even earlier public statements from the same officials.

In fact, just months earlier, senior administration sources had confirmed to media outlets that a trove of evidence, referred to as "Phase II," did exist, including a client list, scanned IDs of Epstein's guests, surveillance footage, and visitor logs from Little St. James Island. That phase never materialised.

PROMISES MADE, PROMISES BROKEN

In February 2025, shortly after taking office, President Trump signed an executive order directing the release of all files related to Epstein. Attorney General Bondi appeared on Fox News touting the existence of tens of thousands of hours of surveillance footage, financial transactions, and even "the client list."

Influencers aligned with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement were handed binders labeled "Phase I." These were heavily redacted. Phase II, promised to include names, intelligence links, and full case files, never came.

Instead, on May 29, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino appeared on Fox & Friends and promised the release of clear video footage showing Epstein's death.

"There is video, and when you look at the video—and we will release it—you will see no one in there but him," he said.

But third-party reviewers have already flagged a full one-minute gap in the CCTV footage from 11:59 to 12:00. That missing minute has never been explained. Analysts also reported that other cameras in the jail malfunctioned, and the primary camera aimed at Epstein's cell door was inexplicably turned off. Back-up drives were reportedly corrupted. Despite government promises, no raw footage has been released for independent review.

If you believe that's all just coincidence then I have a bridge in Sydney Harbour to sell you.

BLACKMAIL? LEVERAGE? THE PAPER TRAIL SAYS YES

Epstein didn't operate in a vacuum. He cultivated influence and wielded it with surgical precision.

The idea that Epstein trafficked girls solely for personal gratification has long been debunked by intelligence experts. Instead, they point to the use of kompromat —compromising materials such as photos or videos used to blackmail and manipulate powerful figures. Epstein's residences were reportedly wired with hidden cameras. Investigators confirmed elaborate surveillance systems in his Manhattan townhouse, with cameras pointed directly at massage tables and bedrooms. Some of the seized tapes were labeled with initials and dates.

THE LEON BLACK EMAILS

In e-mails from 2016-17, billionaire Apollo founder Leon Black was pressured by Epstein for an extra $40 million, on top of over $100 million already paid. The tone of the e-mails strongly implies leverage, not services rendered. Black has since stepped down from multiple board roles amid scrutiny.

THE JES STALEY CONNECTION

Former JPMorgan and Barclays executive Jes Staley was referred to in internal Epstein files as part of "Project Jes," an attempt to install him as CEO of Barclays. Over 1,200 emails between Epstein and Staley include disturbing content: discussions of young women, trips to Epstein's Caribbean island, and at least one sexual relationship involving an Epstein staffer in a Manhattan townhouse.

JPMorgan Chase has since settled for $290 million with Epstein's victims. Staley himself faces separate lawsuits.

THE PETER THIEL INVESTMENT

According to estate records reviewed by The New York Times, Epstein invested $40 million in 2015-16 into Valar Ventures, a firm co-founded by PayPal billionaire Peter Thiel. That stake is now worth an estimated $170 million, the largest single asset in Epstein's estate. Notably, Thiel has not commented publicly on the origin or status of the investment.

None of that money is expected to go to victims. Instead, it's slated to be divided between Epstein's ex-girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, and his longtime legal advisors.

SPIES, VIDEOS, AND THE INTELLIGENCE ANGLE

It gets darker.

Former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta told Trump transition officials in 2016 that he had been told to back off Epstein's 2008 case because Epstein "belonged to intelligence."

Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli intelligence handler, has publicly alleged that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were running a Mossad-connected operation to gather kompromat — blackmail material — on powerful Western figures.

Rudy Giuliani hinted at this again in June, suggesting the full release of Epstein files would risk revealing "top-secret national security operations."

Yet the DOJ memo claims "no link to intelligence" exists. No explanation is offered for the contradiction.

WHAT THE VICTIMS SAY

Maria Farmer, one of Epstein's first known accusers, filed a lawsuit in June 2025 against the FBI itself. She says she reported Epstein and Maxwell to federal agents as early as 1996. They did nothing.

Farmer says the FBI had documentation that Epstein was abusing dozens of underage girls at his Florida mansion and other properties. She alleges the Bureau allowed Epstein to operate with impunity for years, a charge backed up by the wrist-slap plea deal he received in 2008.

Her lawsuit goes further: she claims to have supplied the FBI with names, addresses, and phone numbers of underage victims, as well as names of clients, during an in-person interview. According to Farmer, agents showed little interest, and no follow-up occurred. Her allegations, spanning nearly three decades, paint a picture of federal neglect at best, and complicity at worst.

Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, is said to be cooperating with prosecutors in secret. Reports suggest she has offered names and possibly videos in exchange for a sentence reduction. That cooperation is nowhere acknowledged in the DOJ's memo.

WHERE ARE THE FILES?

Hundreds of gigabytes of electronic data, including videos, photos, emails, and call logs, were seized from Epstein's properties. None have been publicly catalogued. No hash lists. No filenames. No content summaries.

The so-called "black book," a 97-page contact list of Epstein associates used during Maxwell's trial, remains sealed. US Congressional Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene is moving to subpoena it through the House Oversight Committee.

EPSTEIN'S ESTATE: WHERE THE MONEY GOES

Most of Epstein's victims have received settlements ranging from $500,000 to $2 million. But because they signed away the right to sue again, they are now locked out of future payouts.

Meanwhile, the estate still controls over $200 million. Of that, around $170 million comes from Epstein's investment in Peter Thiel's venture firm.

That money will go, not to victims, but to Epstein's ex-lover and his legal team, as outlined in his will, which directs the money to a secretive entity known as "The 1953 Trust."

FIVE QUESTIONS STILL UNANSWERED

1.Why was there a full one-minute gap in the prison CCTV footage—and why did other cameras malfunction or go dark at the same time?

2.Why did the DOJ refuse to pursue civil forfeiture of Epstein's remaining assets?

3.Why were Epstein's ties to foreign intelligence not fully investigated?

4.Why is the FBI sitting on 300 GB of seized digital evidence without releasing metadata or file hashes?

5.If there's truly "nothing left to investigate," why is Maxwell still cooperating?

THE FINAL VERDICT?

With this memo, the Trump administration has declared the case closed. But documents, emails, lawsuits, and public testimony paint a very different picture: one of elite protection, financial corruption, intelligence connections, and victims still seeking the full truth.

The Epstein saga is not over.

It has simply been buried.

And every burial leaves behind a grave marker.

Case closed? No. This case is wide open.