𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Rep. Jasmime Crockett wants Ghislaine Maxwell — who is serving a 20-year sentence for aiding sex trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein — to testify before Congress before she speaks under oath to the Trump Justice Department.

US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, will meet with Maxwell on Thursday in Florida, where she is serving out her two-decade sentence for scheming with the late pedophile power-player to sexually exploit and abuse young women and girls.

Eric Garcia reports from Capitol Hill.

Black filth smeared on walls, rodent infestations, and sanitary products being used to plug leaks in dilapidated living quarters are among the issues recorded at the Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee, according to a Justice Department watchdog report, seen by The Independent.

MSNBC legal correspondent Lisa Rubin reports that, asked to confirm the existence of the Jeffrey Epstein “birthday book” and/or whether it is in the estate’s possession, representatives for the late sex offender and financier’s estate responded with the following statement: “The Epstein Estate will comply with all lawful process.”

The 57-year-old podcaster declared that Hunter “could be president” on Wednesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan has more than 20 million subscribers on YouTube, with episodes that regularly surpass 1 million views.

Rogan praised the former president’s son after he gave a viral, three-hour interview to independent journalist Andrew Callaghan, during which he spoke about his struggle with a crack cocaine addiction.

Katie Hawkinson has the story.

The FBI is seeking an ultra-long-range business jet to fly agents and other bureau personnel to far-flung global locations for counterterrorism response, “high-risk operations,” and other “sensitive missions,” according to a tranche of federal procurement documents reviewed by The Independent.

Justin Rohrlich has the details.

Asked about the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Chairman James Comer says: “We’re moving very quickly on everything we’re doing right now, and August recess is going to be an opportunity for us to move even quicker. We have a very good staff here. August 11th is the date when we hope to depose Maxwell in that prison facility in Tallahassee.”

At today’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Senator Corey Booker is trying to add an Epstein amendment to a bipartisan opioid overdose data bill.

“This is simply asking for disclosure and transparency,” the New Jersey Democrat said.

Republican Senator John Cornyn challenges the Booker amendment and successfully blocks it.

Booker retorts: “What Sen. Cornyn did today was to block the truth.”

Fox News has tapped MAGA activist Charlie Kirk to guest host the right-wing network’s weekend version of its flagship morning program, a network spokesperson confirmed to The Independent.

This will be the Turning Point USA founder’s first time hosting a show on Fox News. As Axios first reported, Kirk is set to join regular Fox & Friends Weekend co-hosts Rachel Campos-Duffy and Charlie Hurt on the curvy couch this coming Saturday and Sunday.

Justin Baragona has the story.

In an appearance on CNN this morning, Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez told Wolf Blitzer: “I don’t expect much from the Epstein files, because if there was something that was gonna compromise President Trump, I think the Biden administration would’ve released it.”

He added: “I haven’t heard from my constituents. Americans are over the Epstein case. They have been over it for a long time … we need to move on.”

Gimenez continued: “We got a lot more important things to do for the American people than what happened eight years ago… we need to move on.”

However, he further said about Tulsi Gabbard’s allegations against former President Barack Obama: “We need to look at exactly what happened in 2016… we need to look at exactly who was involved.”

The House of Representatives broke for August recess a day earlier than expected on Wednesday after Speaker Mike Johnson shut the doors to block moves from Democrats seeking to disclose government files on sex-trafficking financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“I think it is to sort of try to let the air out of the balloon on the Epstein issue,” Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who teamed up with California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna on the effort, told The Independent.

But if Johnson and House GOP leadership feared the end result of that discharge petition, the Senate does not want to deal with it at all.