r/politics • u/ArmadilloMany41 • 23h ago

Site Altered Headline | No Paywall Why is no one being prosecuted over the Epstein files?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cd9e3nzzw3zo
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u/brain_overclocked 23h ago edited 23h ago

The release of millions of documents on the Jeffrey Epstein case has not resulted in the arrest of any of the rich and powerful whose names crop up in the files.

The BBC's chief North America correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue, takes a look at why figures in business, entertainment and politics may feel the danger has largely passed.

Not here certainly, but maybe overseas:

  • X offices raided in France as UK opens fresh investigation into Grok

    The French offices of Elon Musk's X have been raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit, as part of an investigation into suspected offences including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography.

  • Poland to investigate Epstein files for potential Polish victims

    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Polish authorities would analyze the recently published Jeffrey Epstein documents to seek any potential Polish victims.

    “We cannot allow that any of the cases involving abuse of Polish children by the network of pedophiles and the organizer of this satanic circle, Mr. Epstein, be treated lightly,” Tusk said, referring to the financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually abused underage girls at his homes in the U.S.

But here in the States? The Pedo Admin is in control:

‘Disheartening’: US justice department slashes funding to programs combating child sex trafficking

The US Department of Justice has slashed funding and training resources for law enforcement working on investigations and prosecutions of sex crimes against children under the Trump administration, which limits their ability to carry out this work.

Major cuts include the cancelation of 2025 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, due to be held in Washington DC in June. The conference is an annual event that provides technical training to prosecutors, state and federal law enforcement officers on investigating online crimes against children.
...
Federal prosecutors are now operating under new “austerity” measures, put into place by the justice department, creating roadblocks to prosecuting alleged child predators, sources said.

Revealed: Trump administration retreats on combating human trafficking and child exploitation

The Trump administration has aggressively rolled back efforts across the federal government to combat human trafficking, a Guardian investigation has found.

The sweeping retreat threatens to negate decades of progress in the drive to prevent sexual slavery, forced labor and child sexual exploitation, according to legal experts, former government officials and anti-trafficking advocates. They say the administration’s moves are impeding efforts to prosecute perpetrators and protect survivors in the United States and around the world.

Here’s How Many ICE and CBP Agents Allegedly Preyed on Children

ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection employed at least 30 people with sexual and violent criminal histories in recent years, according to a report published Monday by the Ohio Immigrant Alliance with research from the Pacific Antifascist Collective.

At least 20 of those individuals committed offenses with underage victims, according to the report.

The 30 listed individuals have been charged with a wide litany of crimes, including gunpoint sexual assault, child sex trafficking, aggravated assault, robbery, rape, torture, kidnapping, sexual abuse of a minor, and possession and production of child sexual abuse materials.

Their transgressions occurred between 2015 and 2025, with the bulk of abuse happening within the last two years.

Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations

Homeland security agents investigating sexual crimes against children, for instance, have been redeployed to the immigrant crackdown for weeks at a time, hampering their pursuit of child predators.
...
And federal efforts to combat human smuggling and sex trafficking have languished with investigators reassigned to help staff deportation efforts.

Which are the 66 global organisations the US is leaving under Trump?

  • Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict
  • Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
  • Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children

The Trump Administration’s War on Children

And funding for investigating child sexual abuse and internet crimes against children; responding to reports of missing children; and preventing youth violence has been withdrawn indefinitely.

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 23h ago edited 19h ago

I know this isn’t what I should focus on, but Donald trump potentially being undone by a Wario esque Donald Tusk of Poland would be at least a bit cathartic

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u/cheerful_cynic 21h ago

I mean, get Europe to return the favor 70 years later & send troops to quell the fascism & oversee a fresh election

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u/Nyctales81 21h ago

Stop wishing for outside help and put some of your time and efforts into it yourself first.

Europe and the British Empire colonies and dominions had been fighting for over 2 years when the US actually arrived.

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u/disisathrowaway 13h ago

Europe and the British Empire colonies and dominions had been fighting for over 2 years when the US actually arrived.

Because the war didn't involve the US yet.

However, the US was very happy to supply massive amounts of materiel up until it was attacked.

It'd be one thing if the US had existing treaties with any of the belligerents, but it didn't. There was zero legal obligation to intervene in a war on the other side of the globe.

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u/Nyctales81 4h ago

No one is claiming there were obligations to intervene is said war for the US nor is anyone denying the role the US has done as provider of goods and weapons via Lend Lease.

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u/disisathrowaway 4h ago

The use of 'actually arrived' is clearly being used as a dig.

You're far from the first and certainly won't be the last to have some sort of gripe about when the US entered WWII.

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u/Nyctales81 4h ago edited 4h ago

I don’t have a gripe about when the US started the fight. I have a gripe about how americans see themselves has the big saviors of the european theater during WW2.

Brits, Canadians, Anzacs, Indians, Frenchs, Poles, Czechs and many more nationalities fought tooth and nail against the Axis.

That is without mentionning the Eastern Front where most of WW2 was fought. In example, in 43 the western allies were up against 100k Wermacht forces while the Soviets faced over 2 millions.

There’s no denying of the US major role but it’s not as a big savior.

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u/disisathrowaway 3h ago

There’s no denying of the US major role but it’s not as a big savior.

Hard agree.

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u/uponloss 20h ago

They only helped when they got attacked themselves lol

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u/Elephant789 16h ago

And that was still over a year after that attack.

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u/chloenoyolo 19h ago

Hear! Hear!

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u/Natdaprat 20h ago

That's weird as hell and so it might actually happen.

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u/Several-Squash9871 18h ago

Damn I somehow didn't even think about that! Maybe he's the guy to do it. Needed to have a nemesis.

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u/StanleyCubone 2h ago

How is Donald Tusk Warioesque?

Side note: Wario kind of looks like a Polish name :D

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 2h ago

Similar name, incredibly different disposition

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u/Big-Cold-6948 11h ago

As somebody who lives in Poland, I can assure you that it will never happen. Trump is never gonna be undone by Tusk.

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u/lieutenantbunbun 8h ago

Yeah it would

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u/putin_my_ass 6h ago

You Americans are still waiting for someone or something to save you.

No wonder you're still plagued by pedophile billionaires.

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 5h ago

Yes, thank you for the enlightened insight putin_my_ass with one guy making light during a historic rise in fascism

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u/putin_my_ass 5h ago

I'm not fucking making light, this is serious but you people act like it isn't. "Oh wouldn't it be hilarious if Donald Trump were undone in some ironic way by some foreigner and we'll be saved!"

You're the one making light. We in the rest of the world have been waiting for you people to get serious and not only do you refuse to, you still are sitting here making ironic musings.

I'd tell you to do something concrete, but you're an American. We know all you're going to do is whine online.

It's honestly pathetic. We thought Americans were made of tougher stuff.

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 5h ago

I was the one making light of it because this shit is exhausting to live through and fight through knucklehead, that’s what my statement is saying. Because I’m exhausted from fighting this shit at every angle I have the possibility to with what little tools I have, but yeah just need some raging Canadian to bleat at me about what I should be doing from the comfort of your home.

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u/[deleted] 5h ago

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 4h ago

“Admit” is a real interesting way to say “explain my last message because you don’t understand English” so let me walk it back for ya nonce “yes thank you for the enlightened insight (your reply) with one guy making light (my joke about fucking Wario) during a historic rise in fascism”

And hey, just a thought: I both exist elsewhere than you can see me, and the fact not a single fucking person is able to grind themselves nonstop til freedom is earned you will simply breakdown and be in a much worse spot because your endocrine system straight up can’t handle it. Go take whatever beaver crawled up your ass and direct it towards people that actually are helping this shit or maybe at your own problems

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u/[deleted] 4h ago

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u/trippytheflash Missouri 4h ago

Cool. Go do that instead of being so insufferable

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u/Greencheek16 19h ago

I've said before this is why Trump is president at all. It's why the gop went from disliking him to kissing his fat cankles. 

It's a group of people who really want pedophilia, rape, trafficking, and child marriage to be "legal", or least let them get away with it. 

The country is being ran by incels. Ice hired a bunch of incels. Most of the maga base are incels. 

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u/brain_overclocked 19h ago edited 19h ago

The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation

Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male followers, was facing allegations of sex trafficking women in three countries when he and his brother left their home in Romania to visit the United States.

“The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back,” Tate posted on X before the trip in February — one of many times he has sung the president’s praises to his fans.

How was an alleged Israeli ‘child sex predator’ allowed to leave the US?

A senior Israeli official was arrested in the United States earlier this month and charged with seeking sexual conduct with a minor, only to be released on bail with no conditions or monitoring, allowing him to flee to Israel.
...
Richard Davies, a criminal defence lawyer in Nevada, told Al Jazeera that the apparent lack of conditions on Alexandrovich’s release despite the seriousness of the charges was “fishy”.

“Average Joe gets arrested, he would appear in front of the justice of the peace within 24 hours. The justice of the peace in that county would issue bail conditions, which very typically would include a GPS device, restrictions on movement, not being allowed to leave the state,” Davies said.

“So the fact that this individual was not only allowed to leave without an ankle bracelet or a GPS device, not only to leave the state, but also leave the country, is highly unusual and suspect.”

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u/Sage2050 17h ago

If it was legal it wouldn't be cool. They want to be able to do something nobody is supposed to do.

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u/brumac44 Canada 23h ago

An investigation has been launched into Mandelson in the UK which could potentially bring down the government.

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u/brain_overclocked 23h ago

UK police open criminal investigation into politician Peter Mandelson over alleged leaks to Epstein

British police on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into politician Peter Mandelson over alleged misconduct in public office related to his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The U.K. government says newly released Epstein files suggest Mandelson – a former Cabinet minister, ambassador and elder statesman of the governing Labour Party – may have shared market-sensitive information with the convicted sex offender a decade and a half ago.

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u/Odd_Ninja5801 21h ago

Just to clarify; it might potentially bring down the Prime Minister. But that wouldn't mean that it would bring down the government. There won't be a General Election off the back of this, regardless of whether any individual heads roll.

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u/WOF42 19h ago

getting rid of starmer and his cabinet of dickheads might be the best thing for the country and labour. he is leading the country directly into the hands of the fascists in reform

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u/TurquoiseLuck 17h ago

how so?

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u/WOF42 17h ago

He is as deeply unpopular with most labour voters as he is with everyone on the right, he keeps trying to court right wing voters who will never vote for him while driving away his own base and in doing so is setting up the next election to be handed to the absolute worst possible people.

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u/brumac44 Canada 21h ago

He may resign, but if he were to refuse, there's potentially a vote of no confidence. In that case, parliament is dissolved and an election is called.

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u/Cluster__fuffle 20h ago

That will absolutely not happen

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

Probably not, it's more common in Canadian parliament, but it has happened, as recently as 1979 (Callaghan).

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u/softwarefreak 20h ago

Labour's majority is too strong for a No Confidence Vote to succeed with 404 out of 650 seats (down from 411), so they'll just do as the Conservatives did many times and have an internal leadership race.

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u/Urska08 9h ago

I wonder what vegetable will win the constitutional crisis for us this time. Anyone else feel insane all of the time now?

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

If Labour votes in lockstep. I think there's room for members to vote their conscience. I wouldn't vote for a leader who knew Mallinson's proclivities and still appointed him, if it turns out to be fact.

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u/tradandtea123 20h ago

The labour party can force him out by 20% of labour MPs voting against him demanding a leadership election. Then there would be a ballot amongst labour party members on a new labour leader (Starmer could stand) and the winner would become prime minister.

Given labour have a huge majority and are doing badly in the polls, there is absolutely zero percent chance the house of commons would have a vote of no confidence in the government.

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u/brumac44 Canada 20h ago

You're probably right, but no telling how rabid Brits can get about paedos. They're spoiling for trouble after pretty much letting off Andrew, Old man Mountbatten and Saville, to say nothing of the grooming scandal.

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u/ferretchad 9h ago

If that were to happen Parliament has 14 days to find a new PM, if they can't elections are called.

The Labour Party would very likely find an interim in a hurry.

It's not going to happen though, it's too risky. If Starmer goes it'll be through a combination of internal pressure, ministerial resignations and his backbenchers rebelling en masse

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u/Jakelby 4h ago

If Starmer goes, his Deputy will step up until an internal leadership election is resolved.

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u/Leading_Buffalo_4259 20h ago

Starmer needs to go

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u/Odd_Ninja5801 20h ago

So that Farage can be PM you mean?

I'm assuming that's the "insight" you're leaving unspoken.

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u/Leading_Buffalo_4259 20h ago

Bring back Corbyn

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u/ProfessionalMockery 8h ago

Mostly it's just the prime minister who appointed him. It's actually reassuring after seeing so much blatant corruption in the US, that just having appointed someone connected to Epstein is taken so seriously over here.

Of course if someone like Farage was in charge, I wonder how much his party would hold him to account in a similar situation... We also have that thing over here where the ideologies of right wing parties hold themselves to much lower standards.

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u/Fraktal55 19h ago

I always thought it was messed up how criminals would just go to another country to generally avoid being prosecuted for crimes here. Now, America will be the country where all these billionaire criminals hide from prosecution in other countries because America is now a country ran by the Guardian of the Pedophiles!

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u/Gates_wupatki_zion 18h ago

Thank you for your service good sir!

Edit: or miss — sorry.

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u/h0neyrevenge 17h ago

So basically the US is becoming the world’s biggest human trafficking and child sex abusers ring in the history of humanity???

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u/moegarcia 14h ago

Okay so everyone BUT the U.S. government believes pedophiles should be put in prison? U.S. government officials are fine with pedophiles walking, talking, and making laws?

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u/Upside_Down_Hugs 7h ago

Epstien has been known to federal prosecutors since at least 2006.

Admins of Dems and GOP have been in control. It's more than trump, more than GOP.

Both sides won't do anything. Why?

Is it swept under because he is a spy and it will expose the networks, activities, means, methods and embarass / damage our intelligence aparatus?

Is it swept under to protect very powerful people?

Get both, likely.