Trump administration officially rejects Epstein conspiracy theories

An investigation by the FBI and US Justice Department has found no evidence to suggest child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had a “client list” of powerful people or was murdered in jail, according to reports.

The findings, first reported by US website Axios, mark the first time the Trump administration has officially contradicted far-right conspiracy theories about Epstein, including one that he had been blackmailing powerful people and his death in jail may have been a hit job.

Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a prison cell.Credit: AP

FBI director Kash Patel and deputy director Dan Bongino, both loyalists of US President Donald Trump, were among those to spruik Epstein conspiracy theories before they were appointed to their positions earlier this year.

But both of have since said Epstein, a financier who was friends with the rich and famous, killed himself.

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Axios reported on a memo detailing the findings of the investigation, which included reviewing footage of Epstein’s prison cell recorded through the night before his body was found on August 10, 2019. The footage showed no one entered the cell in that time.

The far right have been pushing for the Trump administration to release more information about the Epstein investigation, but the memo said such a move was unwarranted, Axios reported. It also said no one else would be charged in relation to the crimes.

When Trump fell out with billionaire Elon Musk last month, Musk accused Trump of being named in the unreleased Epstein files, but he later retracted the comment and said he went too far.

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