BEN SASSE NEBRASKA United *tuts *cnate WASHINGTON, DC 20510 August 10, 2019 The Honorable William P. Barr Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice Washington, DC. 20530 Dear Attorney General Barr: cornorn.s. INTELLIGENCE JUDICIARY BANKING This morning, Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy American financier indicted on numerous charges for running an international child sex trafficking ring, was found dead by apparent suicide. Epstein was being held in federal Bureau of Prisons custody after a federal judge denied him bail. Disturbingly, his suicide occurred after an incident less than three weeks ago when he was found injured and semi-conscious in his cell from a possible suicide attempt. News reporting indicates that he was then placed on suicide watch but may have been taken off suicide watch before today's events. The Department of Justice failed, and today Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators think they might have just gotten one last sweetheart deal. Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn't be allowed to die with him. Given Epstein's previous attempted suicide, he should have been locked in a padded room under unbroken, 24/7, constant surveillance. Obviously, heads must roll. During your nomination process, you committed to me to ensuring that justice would be done for his victims. I was pleased to see the Department open an investigation into the mishandling of the ridiculous 2008 non-prosecution agreement, and then the decision to bring subsequent charges against Epstein. Knowing this monster's history of thwarting justice, I also called for him to be held without bail upon his July 6 arrest. It should have been abundantly clear that Epstein would go to any lengths to avoid being held accountable for his crimes, including by killing himself. Being responsible for Epstein's