Hillary Clinton could stand in the middle
of 5th Avenue, doing nothing,
and MAGA would claim she'd shot somebody.
Feb 27, 2026
A Clinical Critique
It's the Adderall, baby.
The United Front Show
And BTW, to the list of people Trump hasn't sued for defamation - the many women who have accused him of all manner of assault over the years, and Michael Wolff, who put out a book and numerous print articles that trashed him mercilessly - let's not forget to add Noel Casler, who told us Trump was hopped up on stimulants every day, and that he'd shit himself frequently.
Trump has sued probably a hundred people for defamation, but he's never even hinted at any real possibility of suing the people who'd spill the real beans on him in discovery.
He hasn't even threatened Stormy Daniels for telling the world that his dick is smaller than average, and it's shaped like a mushroom.
But let's hear from some clinicians who know how to watch the guy.
Today's Belle
If you can't decide not to support a guy who sounds like he's contemplating the use of nukes as a first option, then you're gonna need a lot more than therapy, cuz you're fucked up in the head.
How can it be that 20-30% of us are still OK with Felon47?
Feb 26, 2026
Looking Forward
There are three main probabilities for our future, and in two of them humans are really fucked.
- Some variation of the brotherhood of man
- Skynet
- The Matrix
This may be a pretty good look at the interim period we find ourselves at the beginning of now.
What an Ad. pic.twitter.com/AJUwkmD0t1
— Shubham Mishra (@brahma_4u) February 26, 2026
Hillary Speaks
Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee... as a former Senator, I have respect for legislative oversight and I expect its exercise, as do the American people, to be principled and fearless in pursuit of truth and accountability.
As we all know, however, too often Congressional investigations are partisan political theater, which is an abdication of duty and an insult to the American people.
The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not.
As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.
Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes. It's unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.
Mr. Chairman, your investigation is supposed to be assessing the federal government's handling of the investigations and prosecutions of Epstein and his crimes. You subpoenaed eight law enforcement officials, all of whom ran the Department of Justice or directed the FBI when Epstein's crimes were investigated and prosecuted. Of those eight, only one appeared before the Committee. Five of the six former attorneys general were allowed to submit brief statements stating they had no information to provide.
You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, including today, despite espousing the need for transparency on dozens of occasions.
You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican Member showed up for Les Wexner's deposition.
This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors. And I am furious on their behalf.
I have spent my life advocating for women and girls. I have worked hard to stop the terrible abuses so many women and girls face here and around the world, including human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual slavery. For too long, these have been largely invisible crimes or not treated as crimes at all. But the survivors are real and they are entitled to better.
In Southeast Asia, I met girls as young as twelve years old who were forced into prostitution and raped repeatedly. Some were dying of AIDS. In Eastern Europe, I met mothers who told me how they lost daughters to trafficking and did not know where to turn. In settings around the world, I met survivors trying to rebuild their lives and help rescue others — with little support from people in power, who too often turned a blind eye and a cold shoulder.
If you are new to this issue, let me tell you: Jeffrey Epstein was a heinous individual, but he's far from alone. This is not a one-off tabloid sensation or a political scandal.
It's a global scourge with an unimaginable human toll.
My work combatting sex trafficking goes back to my days as First Lady. I worked to pass the first federal legislation against trafficking and was proud that my husband signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which increased support for survivors and gave prosecutors better tools for going after traffickers.
As Secretary of State, I appointed a former federal prosecutor, Lou deBaca, to ramp up our global antitrafficking efforts. I oversaw nearly 170 anti-trafficking programs in 70 nations and directly pressed foreign leaders to crack down on trafficking networks in their countries. Every year we published a global report to shine a light on abuses.
The findings of those reports triggered sanctions on countries failing to make progress, so they became a powerful diplomatic tool to drive concrete action.
I insisted that the United States be included in the report for the first time ever in 2011. Because we must hold ourselves not just to the same standard as the rest of the world but to an even higher one. Sex trafficking and modern slavery should have no place in America.
None.
Infuriatingly, the Trump Administration gutted the Trafficking in Persons Office at the State Department, cutting more than 70 percent of the career civil and foreign service experts who worked so hard to prevent trafficking crimes. The annual trafficking report, required by law, was delayed for months. The message from the Trump Administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: combatting human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House.
That is a tragedy. It's a scandal. It deserves vigorous investigation and oversight.
A committee endeavoring to stop human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008.
A committee run by elected officials with a commitment to transparency would ensure the full release of all the files.
It would ensure that the lawful redactions of those files protected the victims and survivors, not powerful men and political allies.
It would get to the bottom of reports that DOJ withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accuses President Trump of heinous crimes.
It would subpoena anyone who asked on which night there would be the "wildest party" on Epstein's island.
It would demand testimony from prosecutors in Florida and New York about why they gave Epstein a sweetheart deal and chose not to pursue others who may have been implicated.
It would demand that Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi testify about why this administration is abandoning survivors and playing into the hands of traffickers.
It would seek out officers on the front lines of this fight and ask them what support they need.
It would put forth legislation to provide more resources and force this administration to act.
But that's not happening.
Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump's actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.
If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein's trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.
If the majority was serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done.
What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?
My challenge to you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, is the same challenge I put to myself throughout my long service to this nation. How to be worthy of the trust the American people have given you. They expect statesmanship, not gamesmanship. Leading, not grandstanding. They expect you to use your power to get to the truth and to do more to help survivors of Epstein's crimes as well as the millions more who are victims of sex trafficking.
Erika
When the leader - and the in-group - say it's all great, it can override our built-in defenses.
Feb 25, 2026
Robert Arnold Responds
"...and when they rise, they do not whisper - they thunder and they rage."
Democracy is not something we have
if it's not something we do.
The A.I. bubble
There's an AI bubble growing by leaps and bounds. And while it may not crash and take whole sectors of the economy down with it, there will be a "correction" at some time.
If anybody knows how I might be able to short the thing, please let me know. The crash is more-or-less widely expected by about January 2027.
Credit investors have reportedly become increasingly concerned about the potential impact of an AI bubble on credit markets.
Bank of America (BAC) said Monday its January client survey showed that 23% viewed the emergence of an AI bubble as their No. 1 concern, up from 9% in its December survey, according to Bloomberg.
Here's what other bankers and analysts have been saying about the AI bubble threat.
Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase (JPM):
“There’s always a surprise in a credit cycle,” Dimon said Monday, according to CNBC. “The surprise has often been which industry [is impacted]…you didn’t expect utilities and phone companies in ’08, ’09, and this time around, it might be software, because of AI.”
Dimon added he was concerned about a cycle at some point, which could result in a wave of borrower defaults.
“There will be a cycle one day … I don’t know what confluence of events will cause that cycle. My anxiety is high over it,” Dimon said. “I’m not assuaged by the fact that asset prices are high. In fact, I think that adds to the risk.”
Damir Tokic, Seeking Alpha analyst:
"In my opinion, the AI bubble burst with the Oracle (ORCL) earnings report on September 10th, 2025—that's when ORCL stock price spiked, reversed, and crashed," wrote Tokic earlier this month. "The first phase of the AI bubble burst was essentially a burst of the credit-driven infrastructure bubble—with Oracle as the poster child."
Tokic goes on to argue that the second phase of the AI bubble burst was the selloff in software stocks, which he expects to be followed by a broader decline.
"It's Phase Three that will cause a recession with the bubble burst—that's when the stock market will likely 'crash' like in 2000 and 2008. Phase Three will likely start when the unemployment rate starts rising, specifically due to AI-related job losses—and this will start happening over the next 6 months. In the meantime, markets will likely be volatile," Tokic added.
High Yield Investor, Seeking Alpha analyst:
"While mega-cap tech and software have been phenomenal investments in recent years, the market appears to be growing nervous about AI exposing and bursting bubbles in both, as software stands to be disrupted by AI, and mega-cap tech is sinking hundreds of billions of dollars into AI CapEx that may not deliver significant enough returns to justify the spending, thereby destroying shareholder capital," High Yield Investor wrote on Feb. 19.
"Instead, we think that conservatively positioned and heavily discounted software lenders, as well as dividend-paying AI infrastructure companies, are the best risk-adjusted ways to play this dual bubble-bursting threat," they added.
Tom Powell Jr
If you're not guilty, you'd be eager to release every scrap of information that would prove you're not guilty.
I would, and you would - anybody would - but Trump won't.
A Response
I'm not familiar with The Working Families Party, but they seem to be factionally "attached" to the Dems.
And they picked a good messenger in Summer Lee to rebut the SOTU. Spanberger did OK, but this lady really brings it.
Feb 24, 2026
It Had To Be
Sooner or later, it had to come out. Dots won't stay unconnected forever - even in the era of impoverished news gathering.
I honestly hadn't thought about this angle at all, but it makes sense. These crooks always look for "help" from the cops.
Revealed: Epstein cultivated relationship with CBP officer, causing US investigation
Guardian review of US justice department files reveals Epstein interacted with six CBP officers. The officer investigated denied any knowledge of trafficking underage girls
Federal investigators examined Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer who worked at the St Thomas airport to which Epstein regularly flew on his private planes before traveling by boat or helicopter to his private island, newly released documents reveal.
As part of that investigation, which did not result in any charges, investigators also issued subpoenas related to three additional CBP officers working at the Cyril E King airport (STT) on St Thomas, documents show. The Guardian also identified two other CBP officers on St Thomas and in Florida who were in contact with Epstein, based on emails and text messages between Epstein, his staff and the officers. It does not appear the FBI ever investigated those two officers.
The FBI in New York opened a preliminary investigation in October 2019 after receiving a report that a long-serving CBP agricultural inspector “had ongoing friendship with Mr Epstein … while working for CBP Pre-Clearance in Saint Thomas for over 7 years”. The email establishing the investigation into the agricultural inspector, Timothy “Bill” Routch, is among the millions of files related to Epstein’s crimes that were released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) this month.
Federal authorities interviewed Epstein’s longtime pilot about the convicted sex offender’s contacts with CBP agents.
US Customs and Border Protection is the federal law enforcement agency tasked with overseeing the entrance of people and goods through US ports of entry, including airports. It claims to be “uniquely situated to deter and disrupt human trafficking”, and is one of the four primary US agencies tasked with enforcing federal anti-trafficking law.
In July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York indicted Epstein on charges of sex trafficking minors as young as 14 in New York and Palm Beach, Florida. Following Epstein’s death by suicide in jail in August 2019, the attorney general of the US Virgins Islands – an unincorporated territory of the US that includes St Thomas and Epstein’s private islands, Little St James and Great St James – filed suit against his estate, alleging that Epstein “trafficked and sexually abused women and underage girls” on those private islands, using “private planes, helicopters, boat and automobiles to transport victims to, from and within the Virgin Islands”.
No CBP officer was ever charged for crimes related to Epstein, and the Guardian has not seen any evidence to suggest that CBP officers had direct knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. The FBI interviewed Routch and subpoenaed credit reports about him and three other CBP officers, but it is not clear whether the investigation went any further. The release of the government’s investigative files on Epstein has been delayed, redactions are inconsistent, and it is not clear how many more files will be made public.
Routch acknowledged interacting with Epstein “in the course of [his] employment”, visiting Epstein’s island, and being investigated by the FBI. He disputed many of the details contained in FBI and CBP documents. In emails with the Guardian, he characterized the FBI investigation as “a wild goose chase”, and said: “All my encounters were of a business nature … I never [witnessed] anything remotely related to trafficking.”
Epstein emailed and texted with CBP officers, invited them to his island, visited with them at the airport, and frequently sought to determine who was going to be on duty when he was traveling through STT, the released files show. Some officers received financial advice, others, small gifts, and employment opportunities. One officer was invited to perform the steel pan drums on Little St James on multiple occasions; Epstein tasked his assistant with helping another with an interest in accounting to find mentorship. That agent solicited Epstein for a “hard-money loan”, though he told the Guardian the loan never materialized.
Epstein also raised complaints about less-than-friendly treatment from other CBP officers with his friendly agents, twice eliciting promises from supervisors to look into the perceived ill treatment.
The Guardian contacted CBP and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. After publication, a spokesperson for CBP said: “Any claims of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken as necessary.”
In March 2016, Jeffrey Epstein was burdened with logistical headaches. Eight years after pleading guilty to charges of child sexual exploitation, the billionaire continued to enjoy a jet-setting lifestyle, regularly travelling between his homes in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands on a fleet of private jets.
Travel between the mainland US and his compound on Little St James was complicated. Flights to St Thomas were treated like domestic flights, but flights departing St Thomas for a US airport had to clear customs and immigration control.
Epstein and his personal pilot, Larry Visoski, typically expedited this process by “pre-clearing” in St Thomas. Pre-clearance is a longstanding CBP program that allows travelers to go through CBP inspections at certain overseas airports rather than upon arrival. Emails between Epstein and Visoski suggest that they preferred to pre-clear whenever possible and that Epstein was often personally involved in those arrangements.
But on 1 March 2016, something went awry. About an hour out from Teterboro airport in New Jersey, a popular airport for private and corporate jets in close proximity to Manhattan, Visoski received a satellite call from his wife. A CBP officer had just called her as Visoski’s emergency contact and was threatening Visoski with some kind of fine. Visoski made contact with the Teterboro CBP officer, who told Visoski that he could “NOT let my passengers deplane and to bring the aircraft directly to the customs building upon arrival”, the pilot later recalled.
Visoski informed the CBP officer by satellite phone that he had pre-cleared customs in STT and eventually received what he described as “a sincere apology”. Epstein pursued the issue, however, seeking further information about CBP procedures at other airports and asking Visoski to get the name of the CBP officer’s supervisor.
Just two weeks later, another hiccup occurred. Upon arriving at the airport in Newark, New Jersey – and despite pre-clearing at STT – a CBP officer required Epstein’s passengers to pass through immigration control.
Darren Indyke, Epstein’s longtime lawyer, sent a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s private aircraft support office, noting that “in the course of N212JE’s numerous flights between St Thomas and Teterboro, and St Thomas and West Palm Beach, there has been a lack of uniformity in the clearance and pre-arrival requirements imposed by local CBP offices at each of those locations, and, at times, by different CPB officers within them”. Indyke followed up on 23 May and appears to have scheduled a conference call with staff from private aircraft support on 25 May.
But while Indyke was going through official channels, Epstein was taking a more direct approach. The billionaire emailed James Heil, a supervisory CBP officer based on St Thomas. “One off the passengers . a woman with an asylum application pending, work authorization and a social secirity card, was asked for her passport and in it given a B 2 tourist visa,” Epstein complained. (Epstein’s communications are littered with punctuation and spelling errors.) “The other passenger was stamped in as well , though they did not change her departure date.”
Heil offered to reach a supervisor “up there”, and said: “I apologize that you are experiencing these issues again.” It’s not clear what actions, if any, Heil took from there. Heil did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
Heil had been in direct communication with Epstein since at least 2014, documents show. An email from one of Epstein’s assistants suggests Heil was scheduled to visit Little St James by boat on 28 February 2014, though it’s not known whether the visit took place. Epstein regularly emailed or texted Heil about issues he had going through customs at various airports or to see if Heil was going to be on duty when he planned to depart STT.
The correspondence appears friendly. Epstein texted Heil a message of thanks on Christmas Day 2014. “It was my pleasure,” Heil responded the next day. “Feel free to utilize my not-so-insignificant IQ anytime, and also feel free to connect via social media. (We Brooklyn Boys stick together.)”
“Atta boy,” Epstein responded.
At one point during their text exchanges, Epstein, perhaps jokingly, invited Heil to “stop by at my house and I’ll make you an egg cream”. There is no evidence Heil took him up on the offer. On Christmas Eve 2016, Epstein texted Heil: “Just landed with your xmas cannolis . Where can I deliver them.” Heil was off work, so Epstein had his driver deliver the treats to Heil’s home. Twice, Epstein appears to have offered to bring Heil “something” from the mainland.
Epstein also regularly raised issues that he encountered with airport customs at STT and other US airports, and Heil said he was working to liaise with CBP officers in Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey on Epstein’s behalf. At times, Epstein discussed with Visoski whether they should ask Heil to approve overtime – in an apparent effort to arrange for Epstein to get pre-cleared outside of CBP’s regular hours.
In November 2016, Epstein texted Heil that one of his agents had been “nasty”. “I will speak to him!” Heil responded. “I will handle it, formally.”
Records of Epstein’s direct interactions with the six CBP officers are mingled amid the bold-faced names that have dominated coverage of Epstein’s circle of influence. A memorandum of Epstein’s May 2013 schedule, included in an email to Indyke, records appointments with Mort Zuckerman, Leon Black, Bob Kerrey, Joel Klein, Joi Ito, Woody and Soon Yi Allen, and Tom Pritzker – as well as “Customs Agent Bill Routch”.
Routch is the first CBP officer to appear in the files, chronologically. Epstein appears to have begun contacting him in late 2012 and invited him to visit Little St James “for coffee” on 21 May 2013. Routch acknowledged visiting the island but said it was to perform an agricultural inspection of some trees.
In 2014, Epstein made contact with Heil as well as another agent, Jeff McNally, whom Visoski had flagged as being “nice”. McNally was scheduled for lunch on Little St James in May 2014, according to an email from one of Epstein’s assistants, though it is not known whether he attended. McNally did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
In 2015, Epstein got the name of another agent, Glen Samuel, from Heil, and asked Samuel to perform steel pan drumming on the island. Emails from Epstein’s assistants show that Samuel was scheduled to perform on the island at least twice, and that in 2016 he proposed offering regular lessons to Epstein’s “guests”. It’s unclear if the lessons ever occurred. Samuel did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
Epstein had received assurance from Heil that Samuel was allowed to undertake outside employment, but Samuel appears to have declined payment. “Mr. Samuel says he does not intend to charge you,” one of Epstein’s assistants wrote in an email. “He considers you a friend and was doing this for you. If you wish to give him something, he is appreciative, but there is no fee.”
Heil also appears to have introduced Epstein to Gerardo (Gerry) Martinez, a CBP supervisor at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida. The files show regular communication between Epstein and Martinez throughout 2018, with Epstein often flagging his arrival at the airport and seeking to meet. Epstein also complained to Martinez after “your guys busted my balls” when he told CBP agents he was carrying $3,000 in cash but actually had $11,800. Epstein repeatedly followed up with questions about the regulations on carrying currency between the US Virgin Islands and mainland US, with Martinez sending the question “all the way to chief counsel”.
In March 2019, Epstein appears to have asked Martinez for help or advice in obtaining a new passport, writing: “can i call you , ? not sure =hat to do, i need to get a new passport with the sex identifier on =t. is it ok to travel back and forth to the Virigi= islands without a valid passport?” Epstein made three attempts to meet with Martinez at the airport in the ensuing weeks, though it’s not clear if they met or why Epstein would turn to a CBP officer for help obtaining a passport.
Martinez acknowledged interacting with Epstein when reached by the Guardian by phone, but did not immediately respond to further queries.
Epstein was arrested at Teterboro airport on federal sex-trafficking charges on 6 July 2019, after flying in from Paris.
The emails provide extensive communication between Epstein and a St Thomas CBP agent, Alford Richards, with whom Epstein arranged more than a dozen meetings between 2015 and 2019. It is not clear how many actually occurred.
The emails show that Richards and Epstein first spoke about finance in August 2015, while Richards was working at the airport. Epstein had his assistants follow up, emailing Richards a link to Khan Academy, an online education company, as well as the billionaire’s advice that Richards start with “basic finance courses first”. Richards initially communicated with Epstein’s assistants, seeking further instruction on finance and investments, but was soon emailing regularly with Epstein himself.
“I’m in action mode right now and have dedicated everyday to getting there,” he wrote to Epstein about his plans for “financial freedom” in October 2015, after a meeting at Epstein’s helicopter hangar. “I only take advice from you and every time we speak i take every thing literal and go out and do it. I know this is the COST I must endure to get where I want to get and I will ‘never’ give up.”
In an interview, Richards acknowledged his numerous interactions with Epstein, including through meetings at Epstein’s office and on his private island “a couple of times”, but sought to minimize the extent of the relationship. “It wasn’t anything in-depth,” Richards said. “It’s like, hey, this guy is rich, let me hear his opinions.” Epstein was well-known on the island as a billionaire, and Richards was “just trying to get some financial insight”, he said.
By email, Epstein counseled Richards to take accounting courses and had one of his assistants try to find Richards “hand-on experience” in accounting with a company on the island, through part-time work, an internship, or some kind of mentoring. The assistant contacted multiple local companies with which Epstein did business on Richards’ behalf.
Much of the advice Epstein gave was “stuff I already found out by reading my books”, Richards said, but it “felt good that little me, who is no one” was getting financial tips from a billionaire. The internship “never came to fruition”, he said. “He’d give me like, vague tips, and then that was it,” Richards said. “I just wanted some hints and to get better at my finances.”
Early in their interactions, Epstein tasked Richards with finding out whether the fuel supplier for commercial airlines at STT would also sell to him, calling it a “good project” for Richards. Richards made inquiries and responded within a day. (Richards recalled the incident and said Epstein’s request had been “over my head” and “out of my league”.) The pair shared links to articles about investment prospects (in Belize, bitcoin, immigration detention centers, and local real estate) and Richard’s shared a number of business proposals with Epstein. They regularly arranged to meet around Epstein’s travel schedule.
In June 2017, Epstein and Richards discussed a forthcoming auction of local real estate. Soon thereafter, Epstein emailed Richards: “as you have asked me for hard money loan , please ask your supervisor if we can continue this converation.”
Guardian review of US justice department files reveals Epstein interacted with six CBP officers. The officer investigated denied any knowledge of trafficking underage girls
Federal investigators examined Jeffrey Epstein’s relationship with a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer who worked at the St Thomas airport to which Epstein regularly flew on his private planes before traveling by boat or helicopter to his private island, newly released documents reveal.
As part of that investigation, which did not result in any charges, investigators also issued subpoenas related to three additional CBP officers working at the Cyril E King airport (STT) on St Thomas, documents show. The Guardian also identified two other CBP officers on St Thomas and in Florida who were in contact with Epstein, based on emails and text messages between Epstein, his staff and the officers. It does not appear the FBI ever investigated those two officers.
The FBI in New York opened a preliminary investigation in October 2019 after receiving a report that a long-serving CBP agricultural inspector “had ongoing friendship with Mr Epstein … while working for CBP Pre-Clearance in Saint Thomas for over 7 years”. The email establishing the investigation into the agricultural inspector, Timothy “Bill” Routch, is among the millions of files related to Epstein’s crimes that were released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) this month.
Federal authorities interviewed Epstein’s longtime pilot about the convicted sex offender’s contacts with CBP agents.
US Customs and Border Protection is the federal law enforcement agency tasked with overseeing the entrance of people and goods through US ports of entry, including airports. It claims to be “uniquely situated to deter and disrupt human trafficking”, and is one of the four primary US agencies tasked with enforcing federal anti-trafficking law.
In July 2019, federal prosecutors in New York indicted Epstein on charges of sex trafficking minors as young as 14 in New York and Palm Beach, Florida. Following Epstein’s death by suicide in jail in August 2019, the attorney general of the US Virgins Islands – an unincorporated territory of the US that includes St Thomas and Epstein’s private islands, Little St James and Great St James – filed suit against his estate, alleging that Epstein “trafficked and sexually abused women and underage girls” on those private islands, using “private planes, helicopters, boat and automobiles to transport victims to, from and within the Virgin Islands”.
No CBP officer was ever charged for crimes related to Epstein, and the Guardian has not seen any evidence to suggest that CBP officers had direct knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes. The FBI interviewed Routch and subpoenaed credit reports about him and three other CBP officers, but it is not clear whether the investigation went any further. The release of the government’s investigative files on Epstein has been delayed, redactions are inconsistent, and it is not clear how many more files will be made public.
Routch acknowledged interacting with Epstein “in the course of [his] employment”, visiting Epstein’s island, and being investigated by the FBI. He disputed many of the details contained in FBI and CBP documents. In emails with the Guardian, he characterized the FBI investigation as “a wild goose chase”, and said: “All my encounters were of a business nature … I never [witnessed] anything remotely related to trafficking.”
Epstein emailed and texted with CBP officers, invited them to his island, visited with them at the airport, and frequently sought to determine who was going to be on duty when he was traveling through STT, the released files show. Some officers received financial advice, others, small gifts, and employment opportunities. One officer was invited to perform the steel pan drums on Little St James on multiple occasions; Epstein tasked his assistant with helping another with an interest in accounting to find mentorship. That agent solicited Epstein for a “hard-money loan”, though he told the Guardian the loan never materialized.
Epstein also raised complaints about less-than-friendly treatment from other CBP officers with his friendly agents, twice eliciting promises from supervisors to look into the perceived ill treatment.
The Guardian contacted CBP and the Department of Homeland Security for comment. After publication, a spokesperson for CBP said: “Any claims of misconduct are thoroughly investigated, and appropriate action will be taken as necessary.”
In March 2016, Jeffrey Epstein was burdened with logistical headaches. Eight years after pleading guilty to charges of child sexual exploitation, the billionaire continued to enjoy a jet-setting lifestyle, regularly travelling between his homes in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands on a fleet of private jets.
Travel between the mainland US and his compound on Little St James was complicated. Flights to St Thomas were treated like domestic flights, but flights departing St Thomas for a US airport had to clear customs and immigration control.
Epstein and his personal pilot, Larry Visoski, typically expedited this process by “pre-clearing” in St Thomas. Pre-clearance is a longstanding CBP program that allows travelers to go through CBP inspections at certain overseas airports rather than upon arrival. Emails between Epstein and Visoski suggest that they preferred to pre-clear whenever possible and that Epstein was often personally involved in those arrangements.
But on 1 March 2016, something went awry. About an hour out from Teterboro airport in New Jersey, a popular airport for private and corporate jets in close proximity to Manhattan, Visoski received a satellite call from his wife. A CBP officer had just called her as Visoski’s emergency contact and was threatening Visoski with some kind of fine. Visoski made contact with the Teterboro CBP officer, who told Visoski that he could “NOT let my passengers deplane and to bring the aircraft directly to the customs building upon arrival”, the pilot later recalled.
Visoski informed the CBP officer by satellite phone that he had pre-cleared customs in STT and eventually received what he described as “a sincere apology”. Epstein pursued the issue, however, seeking further information about CBP procedures at other airports and asking Visoski to get the name of the CBP officer’s supervisor.
Just two weeks later, another hiccup occurred. Upon arriving at the airport in Newark, New Jersey – and despite pre-clearing at STT – a CBP officer required Epstein’s passengers to pass through immigration control.
Darren Indyke, Epstein’s longtime lawyer, sent a formal complaint to the Department of Homeland Security’s private aircraft support office, noting that “in the course of N212JE’s numerous flights between St Thomas and Teterboro, and St Thomas and West Palm Beach, there has been a lack of uniformity in the clearance and pre-arrival requirements imposed by local CBP offices at each of those locations, and, at times, by different CPB officers within them”. Indyke followed up on 23 May and appears to have scheduled a conference call with staff from private aircraft support on 25 May.
But while Indyke was going through official channels, Epstein was taking a more direct approach. The billionaire emailed James Heil, a supervisory CBP officer based on St Thomas. “One off the passengers . a woman with an asylum application pending, work authorization and a social secirity card, was asked for her passport and in it given a B 2 tourist visa,” Epstein complained. (Epstein’s communications are littered with punctuation and spelling errors.) “The other passenger was stamped in as well , though they did not change her departure date.”
Heil offered to reach a supervisor “up there”, and said: “I apologize that you are experiencing these issues again.” It’s not clear what actions, if any, Heil took from there. Heil did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
Heil had been in direct communication with Epstein since at least 2014, documents show. An email from one of Epstein’s assistants suggests Heil was scheduled to visit Little St James by boat on 28 February 2014, though it’s not known whether the visit took place. Epstein regularly emailed or texted Heil about issues he had going through customs at various airports or to see if Heil was going to be on duty when he planned to depart STT.
The correspondence appears friendly. Epstein texted Heil a message of thanks on Christmas Day 2014. “It was my pleasure,” Heil responded the next day. “Feel free to utilize my not-so-insignificant IQ anytime, and also feel free to connect via social media. (We Brooklyn Boys stick together.)”
“Atta boy,” Epstein responded.
At one point during their text exchanges, Epstein, perhaps jokingly, invited Heil to “stop by at my house and I’ll make you an egg cream”. There is no evidence Heil took him up on the offer. On Christmas Eve 2016, Epstein texted Heil: “Just landed with your xmas cannolis . Where can I deliver them.” Heil was off work, so Epstein had his driver deliver the treats to Heil’s home. Twice, Epstein appears to have offered to bring Heil “something” from the mainland.
Epstein also regularly raised issues that he encountered with airport customs at STT and other US airports, and Heil said he was working to liaise with CBP officers in Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey on Epstein’s behalf. At times, Epstein discussed with Visoski whether they should ask Heil to approve overtime – in an apparent effort to arrange for Epstein to get pre-cleared outside of CBP’s regular hours.
In November 2016, Epstein texted Heil that one of his agents had been “nasty”. “I will speak to him!” Heil responded. “I will handle it, formally.”
Records of Epstein’s direct interactions with the six CBP officers are mingled amid the bold-faced names that have dominated coverage of Epstein’s circle of influence. A memorandum of Epstein’s May 2013 schedule, included in an email to Indyke, records appointments with Mort Zuckerman, Leon Black, Bob Kerrey, Joel Klein, Joi Ito, Woody and Soon Yi Allen, and Tom Pritzker – as well as “Customs Agent Bill Routch”.
Routch is the first CBP officer to appear in the files, chronologically. Epstein appears to have begun contacting him in late 2012 and invited him to visit Little St James “for coffee” on 21 May 2013. Routch acknowledged visiting the island but said it was to perform an agricultural inspection of some trees.
In 2014, Epstein made contact with Heil as well as another agent, Jeff McNally, whom Visoski had flagged as being “nice”. McNally was scheduled for lunch on Little St James in May 2014, according to an email from one of Epstein’s assistants, though it is not known whether he attended. McNally did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
In 2015, Epstein got the name of another agent, Glen Samuel, from Heil, and asked Samuel to perform steel pan drumming on the island. Emails from Epstein’s assistants show that Samuel was scheduled to perform on the island at least twice, and that in 2016 he proposed offering regular lessons to Epstein’s “guests”. It’s unclear if the lessons ever occurred. Samuel did not respond to queries from the Guardian.
Epstein had received assurance from Heil that Samuel was allowed to undertake outside employment, but Samuel appears to have declined payment. “Mr. Samuel says he does not intend to charge you,” one of Epstein’s assistants wrote in an email. “He considers you a friend and was doing this for you. If you wish to give him something, he is appreciative, but there is no fee.”
Heil also appears to have introduced Epstein to Gerardo (Gerry) Martinez, a CBP supervisor at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida. The files show regular communication between Epstein and Martinez throughout 2018, with Epstein often flagging his arrival at the airport and seeking to meet. Epstein also complained to Martinez after “your guys busted my balls” when he told CBP agents he was carrying $3,000 in cash but actually had $11,800. Epstein repeatedly followed up with questions about the regulations on carrying currency between the US Virgin Islands and mainland US, with Martinez sending the question “all the way to chief counsel”.
In March 2019, Epstein appears to have asked Martinez for help or advice in obtaining a new passport, writing: “can i call you , ? not sure =hat to do, i need to get a new passport with the sex identifier on =t. is it ok to travel back and forth to the Virigi= islands without a valid passport?” Epstein made three attempts to meet with Martinez at the airport in the ensuing weeks, though it’s not clear if they met or why Epstein would turn to a CBP officer for help obtaining a passport.
Martinez acknowledged interacting with Epstein when reached by the Guardian by phone, but did not immediately respond to further queries.
Epstein was arrested at Teterboro airport on federal sex-trafficking charges on 6 July 2019, after flying in from Paris.
The emails provide extensive communication between Epstein and a St Thomas CBP agent, Alford Richards, with whom Epstein arranged more than a dozen meetings between 2015 and 2019. It is not clear how many actually occurred.
The emails show that Richards and Epstein first spoke about finance in August 2015, while Richards was working at the airport. Epstein had his assistants follow up, emailing Richards a link to Khan Academy, an online education company, as well as the billionaire’s advice that Richards start with “basic finance courses first”. Richards initially communicated with Epstein’s assistants, seeking further instruction on finance and investments, but was soon emailing regularly with Epstein himself.
“I’m in action mode right now and have dedicated everyday to getting there,” he wrote to Epstein about his plans for “financial freedom” in October 2015, after a meeting at Epstein’s helicopter hangar. “I only take advice from you and every time we speak i take every thing literal and go out and do it. I know this is the COST I must endure to get where I want to get and I will ‘never’ give up.”
In an interview, Richards acknowledged his numerous interactions with Epstein, including through meetings at Epstein’s office and on his private island “a couple of times”, but sought to minimize the extent of the relationship. “It wasn’t anything in-depth,” Richards said. “It’s like, hey, this guy is rich, let me hear his opinions.” Epstein was well-known on the island as a billionaire, and Richards was “just trying to get some financial insight”, he said.
By email, Epstein counseled Richards to take accounting courses and had one of his assistants try to find Richards “hand-on experience” in accounting with a company on the island, through part-time work, an internship, or some kind of mentoring. The assistant contacted multiple local companies with which Epstein did business on Richards’ behalf.
Much of the advice Epstein gave was “stuff I already found out by reading my books”, Richards said, but it “felt good that little me, who is no one” was getting financial tips from a billionaire. The internship “never came to fruition”, he said. “He’d give me like, vague tips, and then that was it,” Richards said. “I just wanted some hints and to get better at my finances.”
Early in their interactions, Epstein tasked Richards with finding out whether the fuel supplier for commercial airlines at STT would also sell to him, calling it a “good project” for Richards. Richards made inquiries and responded within a day. (Richards recalled the incident and said Epstein’s request had been “over my head” and “out of my league”.) The pair shared links to articles about investment prospects (in Belize, bitcoin, immigration detention centers, and local real estate) and Richard’s shared a number of business proposals with Epstein. They regularly arranged to meet around Epstein’s travel schedule.
In June 2017, Epstein and Richards discussed a forthcoming auction of local real estate. Soon thereafter, Epstein emailed Richards: “as you have asked me for hard money loan , please ask your supervisor if we can continue this converation.”
Richards responded on 31 July 2017: “I spoke with my supervisor & was told that conversations on such a matter is ok, however, if I was to actually procure a hard money loan from you. It could or may be interpreted in a awkward way if I had to process you for official CBP travel business and the full terms of the transaction is not known or understood by certain individuals.”
Richards said that the request for a “hard-money loan” – a type of short-term loan typically used in real estate transactions – was not serious, but the result of him trying to “naively speak the jargon of a person that knows what they’re saying but not really knowing”. No actual loan was made, he said.
Richards said he never saw any hint of Epstein’s alleged crimes, which he described as “horrible” and “disgusting”.
“I just knew he was rich, and he had some issues with the law years ago,” he said. “To be associated with him is horrible, and I’m not that type of person. I can’t believe I actually was speaking to this horrible person, but you never know people’s life.”
On 30 August 2019, Routch stepped into his supervisor’s office in North Charleston, South Carolina, where he had worked since leaving the US Virgin Islands in 2016. “He respectfully requested to speak in confidence, closed the door, and appeared to be concerned, worried, and a bit shaken, about federal investigators looking into his past,” according to a CBP memo documenting the meeting.
It was just a few weeks since Epstein’s suicide in a New York City jail cell, and Routch had learned that a woman he had previously dated had alerted the FBI that Routch was “a known associate of Jeffery Epstein, had ongoing friendship with Mr. Epstein, and that while working for CBP Pre-Clearance in Saint Thomas for over 7 years, and assisted Mr Epstein for conducting human trafficking of underage females”, the memo states.
Asked how the woman would have known about this, Routch responded: “Everyone knew I was friends with Jeffery Epstein … I have been to his house, been on his boat, and flew in helicopter for whale watching.”
The memo was forwarded to the CBP Watch Commander, and then to an investigator with DHS’s inspector general’s office. The FBI opened a preliminary investigation on the matter on 10 October 2019.
The Guardian has not seen any evidence in the files to support the complainant’s allegation that Routch had direct knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Routch disputes the account of the opening of the investigation provided in the CBP memo. In emails to the Guardian, he claimed that there had never been any report by a woman to the FBI, and that instead his supervisor “fabricated a story to send to the FBI to glorify himself”.
“In the course of my employment I ran into Mr Epstein several times,” he said. “All my encounters were of a business nature … I never [witnessed] anything remotely related to trafficking.
“I have done nothing wrong,” he added.
Routch also told the Charleston Post and Courier this week he did not have a close relationship with Epstein.
In May 2020, federal prosecutors obtained subpoenas for credit checks on Routch.
A July 2020 email memorialized notes from an initial conversation between federal prosecutors and attorneys for Visoski, who was asked about Epstein’s contact with Routch. Visoski did not recall Routch, though he acknowledged having his contact information in his phone, but he named Heil, McNally and Samuel as CBP officers with whom Epstein had some kind of relationship. “Some inspectors would delay JE for a while, whereas McNally and Heil wouldn’t give him a hard time,” the notes state.
Federal prosecutors went on to subpoena credit reports for Heil, McNally and Samuel. There is no indication in the files that they ever investigated Richards or Martinez.
The FBI and federal prosecutors interviewed Visoski about Epstein’s interactions with CBP officers in November 2020. Visoski related Epstein’s practice of making “small talk” with CBP officers during pre-clearance and said he had given “one or two helicopter rides to CBP officers to EPSTEIN’s private island”, according to an FBI memo. Visoski also disclosed that Epstein had asked him to call a CBP officer “approximately 20 times” when he was arriving at STT after the CBP office closed, to ask whether it could remain open to process their plane. The officer “denied their request 80% of the time”, Visoski said.
The memo suggests that investigators were investigating CBP’s potential awareness of Epstein’s criminal activity.
“Sometimes EPSTEIN would be traveling with a female who had a foreign passport,” it states. “EPSTEIN would argue with CBP that this did not pose a CUSTOMS issue and that it was an immigration issue only … Some passengers on EPSTEIN’s plane were college students with a letter from their college stating their purpose for travel. When questioned by CBP, EPSTEIN would intervene and argue about the fact that the plane had not left United States territory. Sometimes a CBP officer would take the passenger into another room to be interviewed … VISOSKI was not aware of any special benefits or gifts given to any CBP officers. VISOSKI had no knowledge of any CBP officer assisting EPSTEIN in trafficking underage passengers.”
Routch was interviewed by the FBI and an agent from the DHS’s inspector general office on 7 April 2021. The memorandum of the interview provides insight into Epstein’s correspondence with individuals so far removed from his normal, elite circles.
Routch disputes much of what is contained in the memo, including the sequence of events that led to the investigation and the number of visits he made to Epstein’s island. He alleged that a CBP officer present during the interview “threaten[ed] me with physical violence” and that he was denied the right to have a union representative present during the interview.
Routch “thought it was a good idea to maintain contact with EPSTEIN because of his status, wealth and influence”, according to the memo. He “overly exaggerated” the relationship to others, showing people that he had Epstein’s contact in his phone, especially after his death. “It was an ego boost … because not everyone can say they know a billionaire,” according to the memo. He had not actually been whale watching on Epstein’s helicopter, though he may have lied about having done so to exaggerate the relationship, according to the memo.
According to the memo, Routch described ingratiating himself with Epstein through “mak[ing] sure he was being treated with fairness and respect by non-white US CBP personnel”, but said he never offered or received any special favors. Routch, who is white, told investigators that there was a “great deal of racial tension” in the Virgin Islands, and that “the ‘blacks’ disrespect the local white population”, prompting his concern for Epstein’s treatment. He said Epstein wanted to buy new computers for the CBP offices, as well as turkeys for CBP staff, but was told by a supervisor that they could not accept gifts.
Routch denied any knowledge or involvement with trafficking underage girls, but said he was aware of Epstein’s criminal conviction and that he assumed that “eastern European women who took commercial flights to the USVI” were heading for Epstein’s island, according to the memo. When he visited the island for lunch in 2013, he claimed to see “three or four ‘nice’, ‘beautiful’ women swimming and having fun” but “did not notice anything unusual nor did he notice anybody who appeared to be in trouble”.
“EPSTEIN always had older ladies with him, maybe in their 20s or 30s,” he said.
According to the memo, Routch visited Little St James a second time in 2014 or 2015 to inspect some trees Epstein had imported for spider mites.
By email, Routch insisted that only one visit occurred. “We had lunch and we discussed trees he was importing,” Routch wrote. Routch suggested that the FBI may have misconstrued a single visit as two; the memo clearly refers to two visits, a few years apart.
Routch “was aware of EPSTEIN’s conviction involving the abuse of minors but supported EPSTEIN because he was a good guy”, according to the memo. He said he had also “heard” that Epstein may have been framed by a secretary.
Ultimately, he told the FBI, he “stood by EPSTEIN as he would any friend, even though he was, in reality, more of an acquaintance”.
Richards said that the request for a “hard-money loan” – a type of short-term loan typically used in real estate transactions – was not serious, but the result of him trying to “naively speak the jargon of a person that knows what they’re saying but not really knowing”. No actual loan was made, he said.
Richards said he never saw any hint of Epstein’s alleged crimes, which he described as “horrible” and “disgusting”.
“I just knew he was rich, and he had some issues with the law years ago,” he said. “To be associated with him is horrible, and I’m not that type of person. I can’t believe I actually was speaking to this horrible person, but you never know people’s life.”
On 30 August 2019, Routch stepped into his supervisor’s office in North Charleston, South Carolina, where he had worked since leaving the US Virgin Islands in 2016. “He respectfully requested to speak in confidence, closed the door, and appeared to be concerned, worried, and a bit shaken, about federal investigators looking into his past,” according to a CBP memo documenting the meeting.
It was just a few weeks since Epstein’s suicide in a New York City jail cell, and Routch had learned that a woman he had previously dated had alerted the FBI that Routch was “a known associate of Jeffery Epstein, had ongoing friendship with Mr. Epstein, and that while working for CBP Pre-Clearance in Saint Thomas for over 7 years, and assisted Mr Epstein for conducting human trafficking of underage females”, the memo states.
Asked how the woman would have known about this, Routch responded: “Everyone knew I was friends with Jeffery Epstein … I have been to his house, been on his boat, and flew in helicopter for whale watching.”
The memo was forwarded to the CBP Watch Commander, and then to an investigator with DHS’s inspector general’s office. The FBI opened a preliminary investigation on the matter on 10 October 2019.
The Guardian has not seen any evidence in the files to support the complainant’s allegation that Routch had direct knowledge or involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Routch disputes the account of the opening of the investigation provided in the CBP memo. In emails to the Guardian, he claimed that there had never been any report by a woman to the FBI, and that instead his supervisor “fabricated a story to send to the FBI to glorify himself”.
“In the course of my employment I ran into Mr Epstein several times,” he said. “All my encounters were of a business nature … I never [witnessed] anything remotely related to trafficking.
“I have done nothing wrong,” he added.
Routch also told the Charleston Post and Courier this week he did not have a close relationship with Epstein.
In May 2020, federal prosecutors obtained subpoenas for credit checks on Routch.
A July 2020 email memorialized notes from an initial conversation between federal prosecutors and attorneys for Visoski, who was asked about Epstein’s contact with Routch. Visoski did not recall Routch, though he acknowledged having his contact information in his phone, but he named Heil, McNally and Samuel as CBP officers with whom Epstein had some kind of relationship. “Some inspectors would delay JE for a while, whereas McNally and Heil wouldn’t give him a hard time,” the notes state.
Federal prosecutors went on to subpoena credit reports for Heil, McNally and Samuel. There is no indication in the files that they ever investigated Richards or Martinez.
The FBI and federal prosecutors interviewed Visoski about Epstein’s interactions with CBP officers in November 2020. Visoski related Epstein’s practice of making “small talk” with CBP officers during pre-clearance and said he had given “one or two helicopter rides to CBP officers to EPSTEIN’s private island”, according to an FBI memo. Visoski also disclosed that Epstein had asked him to call a CBP officer “approximately 20 times” when he was arriving at STT after the CBP office closed, to ask whether it could remain open to process their plane. The officer “denied their request 80% of the time”, Visoski said.
The memo suggests that investigators were investigating CBP’s potential awareness of Epstein’s criminal activity.
“Sometimes EPSTEIN would be traveling with a female who had a foreign passport,” it states. “EPSTEIN would argue with CBP that this did not pose a CUSTOMS issue and that it was an immigration issue only … Some passengers on EPSTEIN’s plane were college students with a letter from their college stating their purpose for travel. When questioned by CBP, EPSTEIN would intervene and argue about the fact that the plane had not left United States territory. Sometimes a CBP officer would take the passenger into another room to be interviewed … VISOSKI was not aware of any special benefits or gifts given to any CBP officers. VISOSKI had no knowledge of any CBP officer assisting EPSTEIN in trafficking underage passengers.”
Routch was interviewed by the FBI and an agent from the DHS’s inspector general office on 7 April 2021. The memorandum of the interview provides insight into Epstein’s correspondence with individuals so far removed from his normal, elite circles.
Routch disputes much of what is contained in the memo, including the sequence of events that led to the investigation and the number of visits he made to Epstein’s island. He alleged that a CBP officer present during the interview “threaten[ed] me with physical violence” and that he was denied the right to have a union representative present during the interview.
Routch “thought it was a good idea to maintain contact with EPSTEIN because of his status, wealth and influence”, according to the memo. He “overly exaggerated” the relationship to others, showing people that he had Epstein’s contact in his phone, especially after his death. “It was an ego boost … because not everyone can say they know a billionaire,” according to the memo. He had not actually been whale watching on Epstein’s helicopter, though he may have lied about having done so to exaggerate the relationship, according to the memo.
According to the memo, Routch described ingratiating himself with Epstein through “mak[ing] sure he was being treated with fairness and respect by non-white US CBP personnel”, but said he never offered or received any special favors. Routch, who is white, told investigators that there was a “great deal of racial tension” in the Virgin Islands, and that “the ‘blacks’ disrespect the local white population”, prompting his concern for Epstein’s treatment. He said Epstein wanted to buy new computers for the CBP offices, as well as turkeys for CBP staff, but was told by a supervisor that they could not accept gifts.
Routch denied any knowledge or involvement with trafficking underage girls, but said he was aware of Epstein’s criminal conviction and that he assumed that “eastern European women who took commercial flights to the USVI” were heading for Epstein’s island, according to the memo. When he visited the island for lunch in 2013, he claimed to see “three or four ‘nice’, ‘beautiful’ women swimming and having fun” but “did not notice anything unusual nor did he notice anybody who appeared to be in trouble”.
“EPSTEIN always had older ladies with him, maybe in their 20s or 30s,” he said.
According to the memo, Routch visited Little St James a second time in 2014 or 2015 to inspect some trees Epstein had imported for spider mites.
By email, Routch insisted that only one visit occurred. “We had lunch and we discussed trees he was importing,” Routch wrote. Routch suggested that the FBI may have misconstrued a single visit as two; the memo clearly refers to two visits, a few years apart.
Routch “was aware of EPSTEIN’s conviction involving the abuse of minors but supported EPSTEIN because he was a good guy”, according to the memo. He said he had also “heard” that Epstein may have been framed by a secretary.
Ultimately, he told the FBI, he “stood by EPSTEIN as he would any friend, even though he was, in reality, more of an acquaintance”.
Fun With A.I.
Who did this?? 😂 pic.twitter.com/PIbvwUOsOQ
— Dean Blundell🇨🇦 (@ItsDeanBlundell) February 24, 2026
Go, Dems
Democrats Introduce FUCK ICE Act
Democratic lawmakers in the New Jersey General Assembly have introduced legislation titled the Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act, whose acronym spells out an unsubtle message.
The FUCK ICE Act could establish a state-level civil cause of action, allowing individuals to sue over alleged violations of constitutional rights arising from federal immigration enforcement activity.
Why It Matters
ICE, which operates under the authority of the Department of Homeland Security, has faced mounting allegations of misconduct, including claims of overly aggressive tactics, excessive use of force and racial profiling. Federal immigration agents, including ICE personnel, have fatally shot at least three known U.S. citizens—Renée Good, Alex Pretti and Ruben Ray Martinez—during enforcement operations since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The proposed legislation highlights the heightened debate around federal immigration enforcement and local oversight.
What To Know
The proposed legislation highlights the heightened debate around federal immigration enforcement and local oversight.
What To Know
The bill is sponsored by Assemblymembers Katie Brennan and Ravi Bhalla. The legislation would permit individuals to bring civil actions in state court over alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution in connection with immigration enforcement operations. Supporters say the measure is designed to increase accountability and strengthen protections for immigrant communities.
Legislators have introduced a serious package of bills that seeks to limit federal immigration enforcement activities and reduce cooperation between state and federal authorities. The package includes proposals to bar former federal immigration agents from public employment in New Jersey, to impose a tax on private detention facilities that contract with the federal government and to restrict federal agents' ability to operate at state and local crime scenes. Another bill in the package would prohibit the use of state‑owned property as staging areas for federal immigration operations.
Lawmakers introduced the legislation less than two weeks after ICE agents detained 10 people outside a light rail station on the Hoboken-Jersey City border, according to state Democrats.
New Jersey has become a focal point for immigration activism, partly because of Delaney Hall in Newark, a privately run detention facility holding up to 1,000 migrants for ICE. The facility drew criticism over alleged permitting and safety issues. In May 2025, Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, was briefly charged with trespassing during a visit, but the charges were later dropped. Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver was also charged with assaulting federal officers during the same incident, and her case is moving toward trial.
In January, Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill issued an executive order preventing ICE officials from using state property for enforcement actions and encouraged residents to submit videos of any interactions with immigration agents through an online reporting portal.
What People Are Saying
Lawmakers introduced the legislation less than two weeks after ICE agents detained 10 people outside a light rail station on the Hoboken-Jersey City border, according to state Democrats.
New Jersey has become a focal point for immigration activism, partly because of Delaney Hall in Newark, a privately run detention facility holding up to 1,000 migrants for ICE. The facility drew criticism over alleged permitting and safety issues. In May 2025, Mayor Ras Baraka, a Democrat, was briefly charged with trespassing during a visit, but the charges were later dropped. Democratic Representative LaMonica McIver was also charged with assaulting federal officers during the same incident, and her case is moving toward trial.
In January, Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill issued an executive order preventing ICE officials from using state property for enforcement actions and encouraged residents to submit videos of any interactions with immigration agents through an online reporting portal.
What People Are Saying
Democratic Assemblyman Ravi Bhalla said in a news release: "ICE has no place in our communities. When I was elected Mayor of Hoboken, one of my first acts was passing a strong sanctuary city ordinance. Now, the stakes are even higher, and it is incumbent on all of us to use the power we have to keep our residents safe. These bills help our local law enforcement do their jobs properly while giving the state more tools to stop these raids from happening in the first place."
Democratic Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill said in the news release: "We are using every tool available at the state level to protect due process, uphold human rights, and ensure accountability. I stand firmly with our immigrant neighbors in interest of their safety, dignity, and rights."
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: "Politicians are laying blame at the feet of law enforcement instead of looking in the mirror at how they have fueled the hatred and violent attacks we are seeing against federal law enforcement officers."
The Banality Of Evil
Hannah Ahrendt:
(Adolf Eichmann) was not a monster performing normalcy. He was something far more disturbing: an ordinary man who had, through a long and quiet series of unremarkable daily choices, stripped himself of the habit of moral reasoning. He had stopped asking whether what he was doing was right; not because he decided it was right, but because he had stopped experiencing that question as one that applied to him at all. He had handed his conscience upward, to the system above him, and found in that delegation a genuine sense of purpose and identity. And he never once looked back.
SOTU
Fuck that guy. I've got better things to do - sorting my Tupperware, refolding my socks, picking fly shit out of a pepper shaker - important stuff.
I'll have it on in the background though - you never know what weird shit's going to happen.
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