U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Friday said that she has tasked Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to helm an investigation into any ties between late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and prominent Democrats, including former President Bill Clinton. President Donald Trump, in a social media post on Friday, said he would order Bondi and the FBI to investigate any alleged links between Epstein and Trump’s perceived Democratic foes. Bondi announced Clayton would lead the effort in post on the social media site X. Earlier on Friday, Trump called on Bondi in a Truth Social post to investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers, entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan Chase bank, and other “people and institutions.” “Thank you, Mr. President,” she wrote above a screenshot of Trump’s directive. “Attorney Jay Clayton is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country, and I’ve asked him to take the lead. As with all matters, the Department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.” The public corruption unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York indicted Epstein on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Epstein died in what was declared a suicide before the case made it to trial. Prosecutors then indicted Epstein’s longtime companion, Ghislaine Maxwell, on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison. No others were indicted in connection with those cases. Clayton’s path to U.S. Attorney was a rocky one. He was first nominated to the role by Trump in January, but then blocked by New York’s senior Democratic senator, Chuck Schumer. Danielle Sassoon was then appointed Interim U.S. Attorney, but resigned her role weeks later after she was instructed to dismiss the public corruption case against now-outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams. DOJ took over that case and Matthew Podolsky was elevated to Acting U.S. Attorney. Clayton was installed as interim U.S. Attorney in April and voted in as the court-appointed U.S. Attorney for the district in August. The former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Clayton had no criminal prosecutorial experience before taking the job. The SDNY has long enjoyed a reputation as an independent office, though some DOJ moves are seen as attempting to bring it to heel. Earlier this year, former Epstein and Maxwell prosecutor Maurene Comey was abruptly fired in July with no explanation given. Comey, the daughter of Trump’s perceived enemy and former FBI Director James Comey, has since sued over her termination. The SDNY on Thursday recused itself from the civil case, which is now being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. That office is led by John Sarcone III, who the judges of the NDNY declined to appoint to the role of U.S. Attorney. The DOJ says he is serving as an “Acting U.S. Attorney” on unclear legal authority. Both Trump and Clinton are known to have socialized with Epstein during the early 2000s, as did many other politicians and celebrities. Trump has repeatedly said he broke off a friendship with Epstein after the dead financier hired away a young female staffer from the spa at Trump’s club, Mar-a-Lago. Clinton flew on Epstein’s private jet multiple times, according to flight records. Summers accepted gifts from Epstein while President of Harvard University. Hoffman has acknowledged meeting Epstein in a professional setting. In a statement, JPMorgan said it regrets its ties to Epstein, who was a client there for more than a decade. The bank was not aware of his “heinous acts,” it said. The Clayton assignment comes just days after a congressional committee released thousands of documents providing additional details about the relationship between Trump and Epstein. Trump amplified conspiracies around the Epstein case during his 2024 presidential campaign but has backed off since retaking the presidency. He has consistently denied knowledge of Epstein’s systematic trafficking and sexual abuse of minor girls. Emails released this week have cast doubt on that statement. In one email, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” It’s not clear what was meant by that statement. Bondi herself has come under fire for reneging on promises to release investigative material relating to the case. A spokesperson with the SDNY declined to comment. Representatives of Clinton, Summers and Hoffman did not immediately return messages.