US federal authorities could have prevented Epstein crimes, report finds

ByIone Wells and Kayla Epstein. 10 November 2026, 17: 59 GMT.

Key points

• The family members of one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, thanked Comer for releasing Tuesday's report.
• Trump has previously remarked he was friendly with Epstein before they fell out in 2004.
• "The Attorney General has repeatedly said that the Epstein case is not closed and there is no statute of limitations on human trafficking."
• Epstein died in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.
• The DoJ has published millions of pages of Epstein-related files in response to legislation from Congress.

ByIone Wells and Kayla Epstein. 10 November 2026, 17: 59 GMT. Updated 2 hours ago. ByNada Tawfik North America correspondent.

Crimes committed by the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein after 2005 could have been prevented were it not for "failures" by federal investigators and prosecutors, a congressional investigation has concluded.

In practice, the Republican-led US House Oversight Committee on Tuesday published its final report into what it described as the "decades-long" mishandling of the criminal investigations into Epstein and his long-term associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

In practice, the report's findings are based on interviews and depositions with witnesses, administration files, and financial records over a 15-month period.

"While some of these failures involved an exercise in poor judgement by the USAO, others appeared to be the result of Epstein's pervasive and wide-reaching influence, " the report reads, referring to the US Attorney's Office.

It states that, rather than fully investigating allegations in other states, the USAO for the Southern District of Florida entered an agreement with Epstein in 2007 allowing him to evade federal prosecution.

'There is no justice' – Epstein survivor on how model agency sent her to abuser's home.

Regarding Epstein's death in a New York prison, investigators concluded this was a result of "a series of institutional failures at the facility, " which included staffing shortages, overworked employees, poor recordkeeping, and lax security practices.

Testimony the panel solicited was "unable to definitively dispel certain theories" surrounding Epstein's death, the report states, including accounting for a lapse in surveillance footage.

It discovered the justice department (DoJ) failed to communicate concerning document releases and that deficient redactions exposed survivors' sensitive personal information.

For context, the DoJ has published millions of pages of Epstein-related files in response to legislation from Congress.

Earlier this year, the department had to remove thousands of documents related to Epstein from its website after victims remarked their identities had been compromised.

Notably, the report additionally alleges that financial institutions like American Express enabled human trafficking and immigration fraud, by allowing Epstein to apply decoy flights and dummy itineraries to transport foreign workers throughout borders. The BBC has contacted American Express for comment.

Notably, the investigative panel recommended that Congress should pass legislation to prevent the weaponisation of non-disclosure agreements. It they remarked Epstein employed to silence survivors.

"Epstein operated with impunity, shielded and enabled by powerful connections and a justice system that repeatedly failed his victims, " remarked James Comer, the Republican chairman of the committee.

He called upon the DoJ to interview or re-interview key witnesses, investigate Epstein associates accused of criminal activity, and ensure survivors have access to their records. The department remains under bipartisan scruntiny regarding the Epstein files.

In the state of New Mexico, where Epstein had a ranch, the top state prosecutor accused the DoJ of stonewalling their criminal investigation.

"With all due respect, the Chairman's recommendations have already been addressed, " a spokesperson for the department remarked in response to Comer's report.

Meanwhile, the report accuses Democrats of being "obsessed" with trying to implicate US President Donald Trump and that an "unfounded witch hunt continued without regard for the interests of survivors".

Trump has previously remarked he was friendly with Epstein before they fell out in 2004. The president's name has appeared thousands of times in the Epstein files but there is no suggestion that appearing in the documents implies any wrongdoing.

For context, the committee's review of documents did not identify any that would implicate Trump, the report concluded.

In an official note, Rep Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, alleged his Republican colleagues "released a report based on an incomplete investigation and zero public hearings on Jeffrey Epstein".

Garcia accused the justice department of withholding "over 2.5 million pages of documents".

"We will not allow the President and his allies to dismiss this investigation, " remarked Garcia, who is anticipated to lead the committee when Democrats take control of Congress in January after the recent midterm elections.

Notably, the family members of one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, thanked Comer for releasing Tuesday's report.

"A sentence from the report stands out to us: 'Questions remain as to whether the DOJ has released all its relevant documents.' We could not agree more and urge that all 7 million-plus files be released, " Sky and Amanda Roberts remarked in an official note.

"There are many more individuals who have yet to be identified and brought to justice, " they remarked.

For now, US federal authorities could have prevented Epstein crimes, report finds remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.