Trump Surrounded by Officials with Epstein Ties, Says Ex-Prosecutor

Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Alene Vance says Trump's associates with Epstein connections are too numerous to be a 'coincidence'.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Alene Vance, appointed by President Obama, says President Trump has surrounded himself with numerous current and former administration officials who have ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Vance argues that the number of Trump's associates named in the latest DOJ Epstein files is too high to be mere coincidence.

Why it matters

Epstein's sex trafficking network and the high-profile individuals connected to him have been a major scandal, and the revelation of Trump administration officials with Epstein ties raises concerns about the company the former president keeps and the vetting process for senior government roles.

The details

In a interview, Vance cited examples of Trump administration officials named in the latest DOJ Epstein files, including former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who offered Epstein a favorable plea deal when he was a U.S. Attorney, as well as others like Howard Lutnick and Elon Musk. Vance argued that the number of Trump's associates with Epstein connections is too high to be mere coincidence, saying 'the defendant selected them himself'.

  • The latest DOJ Epstein files were recently released.

The players

Joyce Alene Vance

A former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, appointed by President Obama.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States.

Jeffrey Epstein

A convicted sex trafficker who died in prison in 2019.

Alex Acosta

The former Labor Secretary in Trump's first administration who offered Epstein a favorable plea deal when he was a U.S. Attorney.

Howard Lutnick

A Trump administration official named in the latest DOJ Epstein files.

Elon Musk

A Trump administration appointee for DOGE efforts who was named in the latest DOJ Epstein files.

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What they’re saying

“Multiple administration officials including Howard Lutnick, Elon Musk, who served as the appointee for DOGE efforts in the White House. We know that the secretary of the Navy [flew on Epstein's jet.] We know that Steve Bannon [is in the files]. We know that there are more than three dozen associates, family members and individuals directly associated with Donald Trump in those files.”

— Melanie Stansbury, U.S. Representative, House Oversight Committee (Substack)

“Look, call me a jaded old prosecutor. We used to argue to juries: 'I didn't pick the witnesses against this defendant, the defendant selected them himself.' These are the people that Donald Trump chooses to align with, to bring into his administration. And far too many of them seem to have an Epstein tarnish for it to be just sort of a casual coincidence.”

— Joyce Alene Vance, Former U.S. Attorney (Substack)

What’s next

The House Oversight Committee is expected to continue investigating the Trump administration's ties to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates.

The takeaway

The number of Trump administration officials with connections to the convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein raises serious questions about the vetting process for senior government roles and the company the former president keeps. This scandal further erodes public trust in the integrity of the political system.