JD Vance.Image: keystone
US Vice President JD Vance has criticized his government’s handling of the files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
July 16, 2026, 12:26 a.mJuly 16, 2026, 12:26 a.m
“If people want to say we mishandled the Epstein disclosure: guilty,” he said on the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.” His government “completely screwed up” communication in particular.
«But do I think we messed up because we tried to hide something? “No,” Vance said. The reason is that false allegations were made. Vance cited, among other things, a well-received statement by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said that a customer list of the sex offender was on her table. US President Donald Trump deposed Bondi at the beginning of April.
Government tried to keep investigation away from Trump
Decades ago, the extremely rich financier from New York, Jeffrey Epstein, ran an abuse ring that victimized young women and minors. Epstein had excellent contacts in high society in the USA and many other countries. He died in his prison cell in 2019.
The scandal hit the headlines again with the publication of the investigation files. The US government is trying to keep him as far away from Trump as possible. The publication of the investigation files, required by law, was Bondi’s responsibility. Critics denounced, for example, that the blacked out passages in the files not only protected victims, but also suspected accomplices. (sda/dpa)