U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Wednesday said prosecutors should focus on identifying those responsible for “bankrolling Jeffrey Epstein,” arguing that pursuing such loose ends, even after the publication of a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) memo which said the case was closed, could lead to the dismantling of ongoing human trafficking operations.
Blackburn, who has for years sought to obtain specific records related to the deceased billionaire, told NewsChannel 11 that her interest in the Epstein case, was “not about celebrity or a list,” but rather, “finding out who was bankrolling Jeffrey Epstein.”
She told the outlet that determining the source of Epstein’s fortune would help the Trump administration, “break apart these human and sex trafficking rings,” which Blackburn compared to “modern-day slavery.”
The comments follow a July 9 post to the social media platform X by Blackburn, when she stated that the Epstein saga was not about uncovering alleged celebrity participants, but rather delivering justice for those who fell victim to human traffickers.
“Human trafficking generates more than $150 billion a year in profits, and I remain committed to breaking apart the human trafficking rings that ensnare innocent victims in modern-day slavery,” wrote Blackburn. “I’m hopeful we can still uncover this information from the financial records to assist law enforcement in locking up vile criminals.”
For years, I have fought to expose the business associates of Jeffrey Epstein and those who were bankrolling his trafficking ring.
This has never been about celebrity – it has always been about achieving justice for the young women and girls who have been trafficked and abused.…
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 9, 2025
An attempt by Blackburn to request a subpoena for Epstein’s flight logs was blocked by U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) in 2023, when she said the logs were controlled by Epstein’s estate, and could provide answers about those who participated in Epstein’s “human trafficking ring.”
Not long after, U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) made the same request to James Comer (R-KY-01), the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who in February included Epstein as a topic of investigation for a new House task force.
The task force is also investigating the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, his brother and former attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, unidentified aerial phenomena, and unidentified submerged objects.
Also in February, Blackburn sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, urging “the complete [and] unredacted Epstein files.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
