Democratic lawmakers called on Monday, eight days before crucial midterm elections, for the appointment of a special counsel to probe Republican US President Donald Trump’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, accused the Justice Department of covering up “crimes to protect the president. “This special counsel should be tasked with investigating not only the President… but all of Epstein’s potential accomplices and co-conspirators. The 80-year-old president’s name appears repeatedly in the documents but he denies any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any criminal offenses connected to the affair.
Trump fought for months to prevent release by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the so-called “Epstein Files” but eventually signed a law passed by Congress requiring their publication. “Five women have directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein’s company or presence,” Raskin said. “At a minimum, DOJ and FBI’s efforts to protect Trump rather than pursue justice require the appointment of an independent special counsel,” they said. “Determined to protect the President at any cost, DOJ itself now leads the cover-up of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation,” they said. “Todd Blanche has gone from being Donald Trump’s personal attorney to his personal Attorney General.”
