Government failures enabled Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse and traffic females even after he was arrested in 2006, according to allegations made in a House of Representatives report released Nov. 10.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida opting to enter a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein in 2007 let him avoid federal prosecution in exchange for pleading guilty to lesser state charges. He was sentenced to just 18 months in jail, and during work release, he continued abusing women, Republicans on the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said in the 137-page report.
Federal prosecutors also failed to notify abuse victims of the agreement, which made it more difficult for the women to pursue legal action or publicly expose Epstein’s alleged crimes, the report said.
Other failures included the Bureau of Prisons mishandling staffing, among additional issues, at the prison where Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial; the Department of Justice (DOJ) not adequately communicating about the release of documents related to Epstein after Congress enacted a law requiring the release; and the DOJ inappropriately releasing information about abuse victims instead of redacting that information, lawmakers said.
The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
“What we found is both heartbreaking and infuriating,” Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said in a video statement. “These women endured unimaginable abuse and the federal government failed them at nearly every turn.”
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the panel, said in a statement that the report was based on an incomplete investigation with no public hearings.
“We will not allow the President and his allies to dismiss this investigation,” he said. “We intend to hold real public hearings uplifting survivors and asking tough questions of the powerful men who associated with Epstein, including [President] Donald Trump. Our work is just getting started.”
The panel’s 15-month investigation included 19 interviews and depositions with witnesses such as Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who met with Epstein on multiple occasions, and the review of documents released by the DOJ and financial records.
The non-prosecution agreement hammered out by federal officials and Epstein’s lawyers not only “undoubtedly allowed Epstein’s heinous acts to continue for years without recourse,” the report alleged, but it provided federal protection to potential co-conspirators.
Epstein was allowed to leave jail regularly during his sentence to work on what ended up being a sham corporation and ultimately served only 13 months behind bars.
Alex Acosta, the U.S. attorney who helped craft the agreement, said in 2025 that had federal prosecutors known the outcome of the state-based plea deal, they would not have signed the non-prosecution agreement.
Epstein left jail in 2009. He allegedly worked with others, including Jean-Luc Brunel, to recruit and abuse young models, according to the House report. Brunel died in prison in 2022 after being arrested on suspicion of raping and trafficking minors.
Evidence gathered during the investigation also pointed to other people who were residing in foreign countries possibly participating in Epstein’s schemes. Jes Staley, a former executive at JPMorgan Chase who acted as a liaison with Epstein, was described as having exchanged emails with Epstein that appeared to discuss sexual relations with one of Epstein’s assistants. Staley has denied the allegations, and JPMorgan Chase has said it would not have retained Epstein as a client if it believed he was engaged in a sex trafficking operation.
“While some institutions cut ties prior to Epstein’s final arrest in 2019, Epstein used his previous relationships to garner new financial partners,” the report said. “Epstein’s intricate financial arrangements, international travels and visas, cash movements, and political and institutional relationships served as tools that enabled his avoidance of real legal accountability.”
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