Shelby Talcott on August 23, 2019
Around 15 jail workers have been subpoenaed following Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide while in a Manhattan jail August 10, according to a prison official.
Multiple inquires have been opened into accused child sex trafficker Epstein’s death. U.S. Attorney General William Barr cited “serious irregularities” at the facility holding Epstein, the New York Times reported.
The specific roles of the subpoenaed employees are not known, according to the NYT. Barr noted Wednesday that there have been delays with the investigation “because a number of the witnesses were not cooperative.” Epstein was allegedly not checked on for about three hours the night he died.
Two employees accused of sleeping on the job and falsifying records at the jail where Epstein was held have already been placed on administrative leave, and the warden of the jail has been reassigned. The subpoenas are an attempt to get testimony from jail employees and are part of an inquiry from FBI prosecutors and investigators from NY’s Department of Justice’s inspector general, a person with knowledge of the investigation said according to the NYT.
Eric Young, the president of the union that represents federal prison workers, hit back at Barr’s comment that workers were not cooperating with ongoing investigations into Epstein’s death.
“The Justice Department would like employees to waive away their minimum constitutional right to representation,” Young said Thursday, the NYT reported. “That’s what they consider to be a cooperative employee.”
The multimillionaire had powerful friends, some of whom have become wrapped up in sex trafficking allegations. Prince Andrew is one of the people accused of having sex with minors through Epstein, but has denied the allegations.
Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner Aug. 16.
