Draft announcement of Epstein's death apparently dated the day before

Draft announcement of Epstein's death apparently dated the day before

The Department of Justice is facing questions about why a statement about Jeffrey Epstein's death was dated before his apparent suicide.

The press release was dated August 9, 2019, when Epstein was found dead on August 10.

It was subsequently released in the Epstein files release.

READ MORE: Trump told police in mid-2000s 'everyone has known' about EpsteinJeffrey Epstein died at the Manhattan Correctional Centre, a jail in downtown New York.

"Earlier this morning, the Manhattan Correctional Centre confirmed that Jeffrey Epstein, who faced charges brought by this Office of engaging in the sex trafficking of minors, had been found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter," the draft statement from Southern District of New York US Attorney Geoffrey Berman read.

The Southern District of New York covers Manhattan, where Epstein was being held at the time of his death.

The department told the BBC the date was merely a typo.

The statement officially released on the day of Epstein's death was very similar to the draft.

"Today's events are disturbing, and we are deeply aware of their potential to present yet another hurdle to giving Epstein's many victims their day in Court," Berman's statement read. 

"To those brave young women who have already come forward and to the many others who have yet to do so, let me reiterate that we remain committed to standing for you, and our investigation of the conduct charged in the indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing."

READ MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell offers to exonerate Trump if she's let out of prisonJeffrey Epstein is a long-time friend of President Donald Trump.

Berman had been appointed to the position by the Trump administration but sacked at Trump's request in 2020.

Officials say Epstein committed suicide in his cell overnight before his body was found at 6.30am on August 10 by a corrections officer delivering his breakfast.

No time of death has been determined.

The findings of suicide from the New York City Chief Medical Examiner have been highly scrutinised and criticised.

But despite countless claims of foul play, no evidence has disproven the conclusion that Epstein took his own life.

Millions of documents have been released in recent weeks connected to the investigation of the notorious sex trafficker.

READ MORE: Clintons make a deal that could keep them out of prisonJeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

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