Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A powerful Democrat is refusing to commit to issuing a subpoena for more transparent versions of Jeffrey Epstein's flight logs.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, declined to tell a reporter or Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who wants the subpoena issued, that he would support the effort.
Ms. Blackburn, in late November, tried bringing forth an amendment for a vote that would authorize the subpoena but was blocked by GOP colleagues, who invoked a rule that led to the hearing ending after about two hours.
When Mr. Durbin was asked on Dec. 5 whether he'd issue the subpoena, he demurred.
"I don't know anything about his flight logs. I know who Epstein was but I certainly don't know anything about the issue," he told a Fox News reporter in Washington.
Mr. Durbin also falsely said that the matter "has never been raised by anyone."
After entering a committee hearing in which members questioned the FBI's director on various topics, Mr. Durbin told Ms. Blackburn that he was not aware that one of her amendments was a subpoena for Mr. Epstein's flight logs.
"I do not know anything about this request," he said.
An aide for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month acknowledged that Ms. Blackburn's attempt to issue the subpoena was blocked during the Nov. 30 committee hearing before noting that Republicans, led by Ranking Member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) invoked a rule that ended discussion on amendments for the subpoenas that were ultimately approved for a billionaire and conservative activist linked to Supreme Court justices.
Mr. Graham's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Durbin "falsely claimed he was not aware of Senator Marsha Blackburn’s amendment to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs," Ms. Blackburn's office said in a statement.
Ms. Blackburn was prevented from speaking in the November hearing by Republicans after Mr. Durbin asked her to kick off the amendment process. But in an earlier hearing in November, she said she'd filed for a subpoena for Mr. Epstein's flight logs.
"Given the numerous allegations of human trafficking and abuse surrounding Mr. Epstein, we’ve got to identify everyone who could have participated in his horrific conduct," she said at the time.
Ms. Blackburn blamed Mr. Durbin and other Democrats for there not being a vote yet on the proposal.
“It’s perplexing why Chairman Durbin blocked Senator Blackburn’s amendment request to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s estate," a spokesperson for Ms. Blackburn told The Epoch Times via email.
"I think you are fully aware that I had two amendments, one dealing with Epstein," Ms. Blackburn said on Tuesday. Mr. Durbin said he was not aware. "I brought it up previously," Ms. Blackburn said. Mr. Durbin said she did not.
The subpoena "should be at the top of this committee's to-do list," she also said.
A request for comment to a spokesperson for Mr. Durbin was not returned.
"I did not know that you offered that amendment. I want a point on the record you and I have never personally discussed this, have we?" Mr. Durbin said.
Ms. Blackburn said they spoke briefly after the abrupt end to the late November hearing.
"You never mentioned what subject matter your amendment was," Mr. Durbin said.
"In committee, I brought up the subject matter of my amendment three weeks prior," Ms. Blackburn said.
"Not in my presence," Mr. Durbin said.
"I will pull the transcript for you," Ms. Blackburn said.
FBI Director Questioned
Ms. Blackburn also told Christopher Wray, the FBI's director, that she wanted more information from the bureau regarding Mr. Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
"There are disturbing allegations that the FBI failed to investigate the sex trafficking allegations," Ms. Blackburn said, noting that one woman who said she was sexually abused by Mr. Epstein has said she took evidence to the FBI, but the bureau refused to investigate.
Mr. Wray said the FBI worked together with prosecutors to bring the sex trafficking charges and that it has been a while since he looked at the case.
"What we need from you is a complete investigation. Why the FBI did not take this on, and then getting to the bottom of what is an enormous sex trafficking ring and listening to the survivors," Ms. Blackburn said.
While the flight logs have been released before, that version was heavily redacted. Ms. Blackburn wondered whether a more transparent version could be released.
"Let me offer to get with my team and figure out if there is more information we can provide," Mr. Wray said.
The FBI's national press office told The Epoch Times in an email on Dec. 6 that it did not have anything to add, after being asked what Mr. Wray and his team had figured out.
RFK Jr. on Flights
Some of the most powerful people in the world flew on Mr. Epstein's private plane, according to the logs and witness testimony, including former President Bill Clinton and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent in the 2024 race, said this week he was on the plane twice.
Mr. Kennedy said on Fox that his now-former wife had "some kind of relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell," an associate of Mr. Epstein who has been convicted of sex trafficking of minors.
Mr. Kennedy said one of the flights took place in 1993 and that he flew to Florida with his wife and some of his children.
"I went then, and another occasion, I flew again with my family with, I think, four of my children," Mr. Kennedy said. "I have been very open about this from the beginning. This was in ’93, so it was 30 years ago. It was before anybody knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s, you know nefarious issues. And I agree with you that all of this information should be released. We should get real answers on what happened to Jeffrey Epstein and any of the high-level political people that he was involved with. All of that should be open to the public.”
Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
A powerful Democrat is refusing to commit to issuing a subpoena for more transparent versions of Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, declined to tell a reporter or Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who wants the subpoena issued, that he would support the effort.
Ms. Blackburn, in late November, tried bringing forth an amendment for a vote that would authorize the subpoena but was blocked by GOP colleagues, who invoked a rule that led to the hearing ending after about two hours.
When Mr. Durbin was asked on Dec. 5 whether he’d issue the subpoena, he demurred.
“I don’t know anything about his flight logs. I know who Epstein was but I certainly don’t know anything about the issue,” he told a Fox News reporter in Washington.
Mr. Durbin also falsely said that the matter “has never been raised by anyone.”
After entering a committee hearing in which members questioned the FBI’s director on various topics, Mr. Durbin told Ms. Blackburn that he was not aware that one of her amendments was a subpoena for Mr. Epstein’s flight logs.
“I do not know anything about this request,” he said.
An aide for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month acknowledged that Ms. Blackburn’s attempt to issue the subpoena was blocked during the Nov. 30 committee hearing before noting that Republicans, led by Ranking Member Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) invoked a rule that ended discussion on amendments for the subpoenas that were ultimately approved for a billionaire and conservative activist linked to Supreme Court justices.
Mr. Graham’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Durbin “falsely claimed he was not aware of Senator Marsha Blackburn’s amendment to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs,” Ms. Blackburn’s office said in a statement.
Ms. Blackburn was prevented from speaking in the November hearing by Republicans after Mr. Durbin asked her to kick off the amendment process. But in an earlier hearing in November, she said she’d filed for a subpoena for Mr. Epstein’s flight logs.
“Given the numerous allegations of human trafficking and abuse surrounding Mr. Epstein, we’ve got to identify everyone who could have participated in his horrific conduct,” she said at the time.
Ms. Blackburn blamed Mr. Durbin and other Democrats for there not being a vote yet on the proposal.
“It’s perplexing why Chairman Durbin blocked Senator Blackburn’s amendment request to subpoena Jeffrey Epstein’s estate,” a spokesperson for Ms. Blackburn told The Epoch Times via email.
“I think you are fully aware that I had two amendments, one dealing with Epstein,” Ms. Blackburn said on Tuesday. Mr. Durbin said he was not aware. “I brought it up previously,” Ms. Blackburn said. Mr. Durbin said she did not.
The subpoena “should be at the top of this committee’s to-do list,” she also said.
A request for comment to a spokesperson for Mr. Durbin was not returned.
“I did not know that you offered that amendment. I want a point on the record you and I have never personally discussed this, have we?” Mr. Durbin said.
Ms. Blackburn said they spoke briefly after the abrupt end to the late November hearing.
“You never mentioned what subject matter your amendment was,” Mr. Durbin said.
“In committee, I brought up the subject matter of my amendment three weeks prior,” Ms. Blackburn said.
“Not in my presence,” Mr. Durbin said.
“I will pull the transcript for you,” Ms. Blackburn said.
FBI Director Questioned
Ms. Blackburn also told Christopher Wray, the FBI’s director, that she wanted more information from the bureau regarding Mr. Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
“There are disturbing allegations that the FBI failed to investigate the sex trafficking allegations,” Ms. Blackburn said, noting that one woman who said she was sexually abused by Mr. Epstein has said she took evidence to the FBI, but the bureau refused to investigate.
Mr. Wray said the FBI worked together with prosecutors to bring the sex trafficking charges and that it has been a while since he looked at the case.
“What we need from you is a complete investigation. Why the FBI did not take this on, and then getting to the bottom of what is an enormous sex trafficking ring and listening to the survivors,” Ms. Blackburn said.
While the flight logs have been released before, that version was heavily redacted. Ms. Blackburn wondered whether a more transparent version could be released.
“Let me offer to get with my team and figure out if there is more information we can provide,” Mr. Wray said.
The FBI’s national press office told The Epoch Times in an email on Dec. 6 that it did not have anything to add, after being asked what Mr. Wray and his team had figured out.
RFK Jr. on Flights
Some of the most powerful people in the world flew on Mr. Epstein’s private plane, according to the logs and witness testimony, including former President Bill Clinton and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is running as an independent in the 2024 race, said this week he was on the plane twice.
Mr. Kennedy said on Fox that his now-former wife had “some kind of relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell,” an associate of Mr. Epstein who has been convicted of sex trafficking of minors.
Mr. Kennedy said one of the flights took place in 1993 and that he flew to Florida with his wife and some of his children.
“I went then, and another occasion, I flew again with my family with, I think, four of my children,” Mr. Kennedy said. “I have been very open about this from the beginning. This was in ’93, so it was 30 years ago. It was before anybody knew about Jeffrey Epstein’s, you know nefarious issues. And I agree with you that all of this information should be released. We should get real answers on what happened to Jeffrey Epstein and any of the high-level political people that he was involved with. All of that should be open to the public.”
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