I
s US President Donald Trump being protected by the FBI? This question has become unavoidable ever since it emerged that FBI documents naming the US president in the Epstein files – including reports linked to an allegation of sexual assault – were not released. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has said it would "re-examine" these omissions, but when the department answers to the president himself, a "re-examination" looks less like a clarification than political damage control.
The contrast with Europe in the handling of revelations from the Epstein case is striking. In the United Kingdom, Thames Valley Police arrested former Prince Andrew, and the Metropolitan Police arrested Peter Mandelson – without the government intervening in the decision to investigate. In France, the police raid at the Institut du Monde Arabe, as part of the Jack Lang case, took place as part of a preliminary investigation by the country's National Financial Prosecutor's Office, and under the supervision of a magistrate. In Norway as well, proceedings were launched against prominent figures, including former prime minister Thorbjorn Jagland, who was indicted for aggravated corruption. In these countries, the police and the prosecution have enough institutional independence to investigate powerful individuals without seeking the approval of political authorities.
