Watchdog Blames Epstein's Death on 'Negligence and Misconduct' in Prisons

A Justice Department watchdog released a report on Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 suicide on Tuesday.

The Details: Inspector General Michael Horowitz said the Bureau of Prisons failed to assign Epstein a cellmate after his previous one left, ignored problems with surveillance cameras, and left too many bed linens in his cell, all of which purportedly enabled him to kill himself. Then-Attorney General William Barr launched the probe shortly after Epstein died, saying his "death raises serious questions that must be answered." 

Key Quotes: A "combination of negligence, misconduct and outright job performance failures" enabled Epstein's suicide and deprived "his numerous victims, many of whom were underage girls at the time of the alleged crimes, of their ability to seek justice through the criminal justice process," the report states.

For Context: Questions have persisted about the circumstances of Epstein's death, which was ruled a suicide by a medical examiner. His ex-associate and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell has said Epstein was murdered.

How the Media Covered It: The Guardian (Lean Left bias) said the report "reiterated the findings of other investigations that there was no indication of foul play, rebutting conspiracy theories surrounding the high-profile death." Fox News (Right) said "Epstein also had connections to powerful figures, including former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton and the British royal family, further fueling the idea that foul play was involved."