Epstein was arrested by New York State law enforcement in July 2019. The prosecutor’s office reported that between 2002 and 2005 he arranged visits to his Manhattan home for dozens of underage girls, the youngest being 14, TASS reported.
Epstein’s friends and acquaintances included a large number of current and retired officials not only from the United States but also from many other countries, including former heads of state, major entrepreneurs, and show business stars. The criminal prosecution of the financier in the United States ended after he committed suicide in a prison cell in August 2019.
On November 20, US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social network account that he had signed a bill to compel the country’s Justice Department to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein. At the same time, Reuters said, citing sources, that the Trump administration exerted pressure on US Senate’s members to make them delay the vote on publishing the Epstein files.