id,deposition_id,segment_index,speaker,start_seconds,end_seconds,text
8975,9,0,Page 1,,,"COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON, D.C. INTERVIEW OF: TOVA NOEL Monday, May 18, 2026 Washington, D.C. The interview in the above matter was held in room 2247, Rayburn House Office Building, commencing at 10:00 a.m. Present: Representatives Khanna, Stansbury, Subramanyam, and Walkinshaw."
8976,9,1,Page 2,,,"Appearances: For the COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM: DANIEL ASHWORTH, GENERAL COUNSEL BRITTANY BRIGNAC, SENIOR COUNSEL HANNAH CATHEY, PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER MALLORY COGAR, CHIEF CLERK AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS JACK EMMER, CHIEF COUNSEL FOR INVESTIGATIONS EMILY FEYERABEND, COUNSEL RYAN GIACHETTI, CHIEF COUNSEL BILLY GRANT, DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL FOR INVESTIGATIONS WILL HARNICE, PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER PETER SPECTRE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR OVERSIGHT ELLISON TOLAN, COUNSEL ASHLEE VINYARD, DEPUTY STAFF DIRECTOR , MINORITY DEPUTY STAFF DIRECTOR , MINORITY STAFF DIRECTOR MINORITY RESEARCH ASSISTANT , MINORITY RESEARCH ANALYST , MINORITY SENIOR COUNSEL , MINORITY SENIOR COUNSEL , MINORITY SENIOR COUNSEL MINORITY PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER"
8977,9,2,Page 3,,,", MINORITY FELLOW , MINORITY SENIOR ADVISOR MINORITY CHIEF COUNSEL For TOVA NOEL: JASON E. FOY, ESQ. Foy & Seplowitz, LLC 24 Bergen Street, Ste. #200 Hackensack, NJ 07601 RUDY BRIOCHÉ, ESQ."
8978,9,3,Page 4,,,"Ms. Feyerabend. This is a transcribed interview of Tova Noel, conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under the authority granted to it pursuant to House rule X. Accordingly, House rule X grants the Committee broad jurisdiction for the Committee to conduct investigations of any matter at any time. This interview was requested by Chairman James Comer as part of the Committee's investigation into the circumstances and subsequent investigations into the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the operation of sex-trafficking rings and ways for the Federal Government to effectively combat them, the ways in which Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell sought to curry favor and exercise influence to protect their illegal activities, and potential violations of ethics rules related to elected officials. Can the witness please state her name and spell her last name for the record? Ms. Noel. Tova Noel, N-o-e-l. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. Ms. Noel. You're welcome. Ms. Feyerabend. I want to thank Ms. Noel for appearing here voluntarily today. My name is Emily Feyerabend, and I am counsel for Chairman James Comer. Under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's rules, you are allowed to have counsel present to advise you during this interview. Do you have counsel representing you in a personal capacity present with you today? Ms. Noel. Yes. Ms. Feyerabend. Will counsel please identify themselves for the record? Mr. Foy. Jason Foy. Mr. Brioche. Rudy Brioche. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you."
8979,9,4,Page 5,,,"And for the record, starting with the majority staff, can the additional staff members please introduce themselves with their name, title, and affiliation? Mr. Grant. Billy Grant, deputy chief counsel for investigations, Chairman Comer. Mr. Emmer. Jack Emmer, chief counsel for investigations for Chairman Comer. Mr. Ashworth. Daniel Ashworth, general counsel for Chairman Comer. Mr. Giachetti. Ryan Giachetti, chief counsel for Chairman Comer. Mr. Harnice. Will Harnice, professional staff member for Chairman Comer. Ms. Cathey. Hannah Cathey, professional staff member, Chairman Comer. Ms. Tolan. Ellison Tolan, counsel, Chairman Comer. Ms. Brignac. Brittany Brignac, senior counsel for Chairman Comer. Ms. Vineyard. Ashlee Vinyard, deputy staff director for Chairman Comer. Mr. Spectre. Peter Spectre, director of oversight for Chairman Comer. Ms. Cogar. Mallory Cogar, director of operations and chief clerk for Chairman Comer. , chief counsel, Ranking Member Garcia. , senior counsel, Ranking Member Garcia. , senior counsel, Ranking Member Garcia. , senior counsel, Ranking Member Garcia. , research assistant, Ranking Member Garcia. , research analyst, Ranking Member Garcia. , deputy staff director for Ranking Member Garcia. , professional staff member for Ranking Member Garcia. , fellow, Ranking Member Garcia. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you all. And I also see we have a member that has joined us. Would he please identify himself? Mr. Walkinshaw. Good morning. I am James Walkinshaw from Virginia's 11th District."
8980,9,5,Page 6,,,"Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. Ms. Noel, before we begin, I'd like to go over the ground rules for this transcribed interview. The questioning will proceed in rounds. The majority will ask questions for up to an hour, and then the minority will have the opportunity to ask questions for up to an hour if they choose. To the extent members have questions for the witness, they will be propounded during their side's respective rounds. The clock will stop if you need to confer with counsel, your counsel is speaking, and when members or staff are speaking during the opposing side's round of questions. We will alternate back and forth until there are no more questions. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. There is a court reporter taking down everything I say and everything you say to make a written record of the interview. For the record to be clear, please wait until the staffer questioning you finishes each question before you begin your answer, and the staffer will wait until you finish your response before proceeding to the next question. Further, to ensure the court reporter can properly record this interview, please speak clearly, concisely, and slowly. Also, the court reporter cannot record nonverbal answers, such as nodding or shaking your head, so it's important that you answer each question with an audible, verbal answer. Exhibits may be entered into the record. Majority exhibits will be identified numerically; minority exhibits will be identified alphabetically. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. We want to you to answer our questions in the most complete and"
8981,9,6,Page 7,,,"truthful manner possible, so we will take our time. If you have any questions or do not fully understand a question, please let us know. We will attempt to clarify, add context to, or rephrase our questions. If we ask about specific conversations or events in the past and you are unable to recall the exact words or details, you should testify to the substance of those conversations or events to the best of your recollection. If you recall only a part of a conversation or event, you should give us your best recollection of those events or parts of conversations that you do recall. Do you understand? Ms. Nova. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Although you are here voluntarily and you will not be sworn in, you are required by law pursuant to Title 18 of United States Code, section 1001, to answer questions from Congress truthfully. This also applies to questions posed by congressional staff in this interview. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. If at any time you knowingly make false statements, you could be subject to criminal prosecution. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. This includes both knowingly providing false testimony but also stating that you do not recall or remember something when, in fact, you do. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Furthermore, you cannot tell half-truths or exclude information necessary to make your statements accurate. You are required to provide all information that would make your response truthful. A deliberate failure to disclose information can constitute a false statement."
8982,9,7,Page 8,,,"Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Is there any reason that you are unable to provide truthful testimony in today's interview? Ms. Noel. No, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Please note that if you wish to assert a privilege over any statement today, that assertion must comply with the rules of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Pursuant to that, Committee rule 16(c)(1) states, ""For the Chair to consider assertions of privilege over testimony or statements, witnesses or entities must clearly state the specific privilege being asserted and the reason for the assertion on or before the scheduled date of testimony or appearance."" Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Ordinarily, we take a 5-minute break at the end of each hour of questioning, but if you need a longer break or a break before that, please let us know, and we will be happy to accommodate. However, to the extent that there is a pending question, we would ask that you finish answering the question before we take the break. Do you understand? Ms. Noel. Yes, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. Do you have any other questions before we begin? Ms. Noel. No, ma'am. Ms. Feyerabend. I understand you have an opening statement. Would you like to read that now? Ms. Noel. Yes."
8983,9,8,Page 9,,,"Good morning. My name is Tova Noel, and I'm 37 years old. I appear here today voluntarily in response to the request of the House Oversight Committee to answer questions about the circumstances and subsequent investigation of the death of Mr. Jeffrey Epstein in 2019. Before I begin my opening statement, I would like to take a moment to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and that my decision to voluntarily appear before this committee, in part, is influenced by my desire to provide clarity for the women harmed by Mr. Epstein and his co-conspirators. I emigrated from Antigua to the United States when I was 12 years old. At age 16, I graduated high school in Pennsylvania. When I turned 17, I attempted to enlist in the United States Army but was unable to do so. I was a minor, and my mother refused to consent to my enlistment. When I turned 19 years old, I enlisted and served in the Army National Guard for 6 years, receiving an honorable discharge in 2014. During my military service, I was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom and stationed in Kuwait. While serving our country, I became a U.S. citizen in 2009. During my final year in the Army, I finished college-level courses and earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in criminal justice in 2014. I went back to school to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from John Jay College in 2017. After I earned my bachelor's degree, I briefly worked at the United States Postal Service until the opportunity to work as a Federal correctional officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I decided to pursue the role because it was in the criminal justice field. On June 24th, 2018, I began working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I was assigned to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, also known as MCC, in Manhattan. Around March 2019, during my first year as a Federal correctional officer, I sustained an injury on the job. While on leave, I missed training classes that were required to be assigned to the Special Housing Unit, also known as the SHU. These training courses were specifically related to the"
8984,9,9,Page 10,,,"duties and responsibilities to work in the SHU. When I returned to work in June 2019, I was assigned to work in the SHU even though I never received the required specialized training. Prior to June 2019, I never worked in the SHU. When I was assigned to the SHU, I was instructed to sign a document that indicated that I received the SHU training. When I advised my supervisor that I did not receive the training, I was told not to worry about it. I was instructed to sign so that the facility could pass its program review. When I was placed in the SHU, I was assigned to the 4:00-p.m.-to-midnight shift most of the time. Due to understaffing issues, my colleagues and I were required to work overtime on a regular basis. To avoid being mandated to work a second consecutive shift at midnight, I often would volunteer to work the 8:00-a.m.-to-4:00-p.m. shift and then work my regular shift from 4:00 to midnight. When Mr. Epstein was lodged at the MCC on or about July 6th, 2019, I did not know who he was or anything about his past. I had limited interactions with Mr. Epstein because he spent most of each day downstairs in the attorney conference room. I was not aware of the public's interest in Mr. Epstein until shortly after the July 23rd, 2019, incident when he was placed on suicide watch. I was not working the shift when the July 23rd incident occurred. On August 9th, 2019, I was scheduled to work my 4:00-p.m.-to-midnight shift. Because I had a personal obligation that day, I could not work the 8:00-a.m.-to-4:00-p.m. shift. As a result, I was mandated to work the August 10th, 2019, midnight-to-8:00-a.m. shift. It was also my first time I worked in the SHU with Officer Michael Thomas. It was my understanding that Officer Thomas was working the midnight shift in addition to working his assigned 8:00-a.m.-to-4:00-p.m. shift. On August 9th and 10th, 2019, I acknowledge with full candor that I did not execute the counts and rounds properly. I admit that there were tasks that I failed to complete, which resulted"
8985,9,10,Page 11,,,"in the improper execution and inaccurate documentation of the counts and rounds. The failure to execute my duties and responsibilities properly and the submission of inaccurate documentation were not related to Mr. Epstein or his death in any way. The inaccurate documentation were executed at the beginning of each shift and were not done to cover up my conduct or the conduct of my colleague. At the time, I considered what I was doing as the ""MCC way."" I use the term ""MCC way"" because it is a phrase I heard countless times from multiple colleagues while learning on the job prior to being assigned to the SHU. In other words, I was trained in a way that suggested that the policy guidance and operation protocols set forth in writing by the Federal Bureau of Prisons may be applied differently at MCC. My conduct regarding documentation and execution of the counts and rounds was based on what I observed experienced officers doing. Because I believed that the video surveillance cameras inside of MCC were working properly, I was not attempting to get away with something that I believed to be a crime. It was a surprise to me to learn months later the video surveillance system was not working properly. Again, my failure to complete those duties were not because of Mr. Epstein. My inadequate job performance was due to my inexperience, inadequate training, and being overworked. Due to understaffing issues, the amount of overtime I was required to do resulted in me earning my full base salary in approximately 6 months' time on the job. As a result, my inadequate performance on the SHU on August 9th and 10th of 2019 was based on the dysfunctional culture at MCC, which has been well-documented in multiple reports issued by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. My responsibility to conduct counts and rounds was improperly executed because of severe understaffing, a lack of adequate training, inadequate communication between management and frontline correctional officers, and other systemic failures."
8986,9,11,Page 12,,,"The systemic failures at the MCC were documented by the Office of Inspector General and multiple journalists long before the death of Mr. Epstein. The systemic failures were communicated to the Federal Bureau of Prison's leadership by the correctional officers' union leadership long before Mr. Epstein's death. The only connection I have to the death of Mr. Epstein is that I happened to be mandated for overtime when he died. My life has drastically changed since August 10th, 2019. Since that day, my life has been extremely difficult. This situation has been one of the hardest things I have experienced in my life. For over 2 years, my freedom was in jeopardy. After the case against me was dismissed in 2021, with the unwavering support of my family, friends, coworkers, my attorney Jason Foy, and God, I thought that I would be able to privately rebuild my life and career. Instead, I have consistently been the subject of threats to my life, conspiracy theories, and outrageous rumors, impacting my mental and physical health. I have received threats from strangers. I have witnessed strangers pontificate about whether I'm a murderer or that I'll end up dead. I am consistently harassed at my residence, place of employment, in emails, and on the phone. Every few weeks, there's a new article based on a new theory with little to no factual basis. When Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, my personal identification information was released to the public without proper redaction of my date of birth and other personal information. And now I have been asked to come before you to speak for the first time publicly and answer your questions related to the investigation and death of Mr. Epstein. My goal today is to be honestly -- my goal today is to honestly answer the Committee's questions to the best of my recollection and finally put this behind me permanently. I would like to ask the world to allow me to heal and move on with my life. I'm not a"
8987,9,12,Page 13,,,"criminal. I didn't conspire to cause Mr. Epstein's death. It is my desire to be left alone after all of today's interview. Thank you. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. I see we have another Member of Congress. Would he please identify himself for the record? Mr. Subramanyam. Representative Suhas Subramanyam, Virginia's 10th District. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. All right. My time reads 10:18, and the majority's time will begin now. EXAMINATION BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Ms. Noel, thank you again for appearing here voluntarily today. I'd like to start this interview by discussing more about your background. I know you mentioned it in your opening statement, but where are you from originally? A Antigua. Q Antigua. And when did you first move to New York? A I first moved to New York about -- I first moved New York, I want to say, about 2011. Q What made you decide to move there? A When I came to this country, I first lived in Pennsylvania. And after I graduated high school, I moved to New York because I liked New York better than Pennsylvania. Q Can -- I know you just did so, but can you briefly again for the record walk us through your professional career? A I graduated high school at 16, went on to the military. When I turned 19, I gained an associate's degree in criminal justice. I went on to gaining a bachelor's degree also in criminal justice and a minor in law."
8988,9,13,Page 14,,,"I completed 6 years in the military, one tour in Kuwait. I worked for the United States Postal Service and then, later on, went on to working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, along with other employment. Q When did you begin working at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City? A June 2018. Q You mentioned your job right before then was working for the U.S. Postal Service? A Correct. Q Okay. What years did you work at MCC? A 2018 -- June 2018 to August 10th, 2019. Q How was it that you ended up working at MCC? A While working at the United States Postal Service, I received a call from MCC to gain employment there, and I accepted. Q So someone reached out to you? A Correct. Q Okay. And why did you make that decision to start working there? A Because I had the background in criminal justice, and I wanted to pursue my degree field. Q What was your first role or position at MCC? A Correctional officer. Q Were you ever assigned to more than one role while at MCC? A No, ma'am. Q Can you describe what your responsibilities were in that role? A My role as a correctional officer was to oversee inmates to make sure that they're performing their daily tasks and the functions and to make sure that they're accounted for. Q And at what point were you assigned to the Special Housing Unit?"
8989,9,14,Page 15,,,"A I was assigned to the Special Housing Unit in June of 2019. Q And for purposes of the record, I'm going to be referring to the Special Housing Unit as the ""SHU,"" spelled S-H-U. Who first told you that you were going to be assigned to the SHU? A I don't recall exactly who told me that I was going to be assigned to the SHU. Q Okay. Were you ever told why you were being moved to the SHU? A So, based on seniority, you get to bid for your post, and the only post that was left was the SHU. Q How did you feel about being moved the SHU at the time? A I didn't want to go to SHU, because I wasn't familiar with working SHU. When I shadowed, I shadowed on regular housing units, not SHU. Q Okay. Ms. Feyerabend. We have a new staff member that's entered the room. Will he please identify himself? Mr. Edmonson. Robert Edmonson, staff director, Ranking Member Garcia. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Was working in the SHU considered a promotion to the rest of the staff at MCC? A No. Q Why not? A Because it was a housing unit. Q Okay. So there was no difference between a correctional officer working the SHU or any other area at MCC? A Correct. Q Okay. What was your salary while working in the SHU?"
8990,9,15,Page 16,,,"A I don't recall exactly. Q Okay. You worked at MCC for over a year. A Yes. Q Was that your only job during that entire time, or did you have any additional sources of income outside of your salary? A Additional sources of income was VA benefits. Q Were you receiving those the entire time? A Yes. BY MR. EMMER: Q In your opening, you referenced -- was it a workplace injury that -- A Correct. Q When did that occur? A March. Q March of 2018? A Correct -- no. March of 2019. Q Excuse me. Thank you. And then when did you return -- A To work? Q -- back to work? A June of 2019. Q Thank you. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q So we're going to discuss Mr. Epstein's death and that night more specifically in a little bit, but I'd like to first get a better sense of the structure and the staffing roles at the MCC. A Okay."
8991,9,16,Page 17,,,"Q So you mentioned that you were first assigned in June 2019 to the SHU. Can you describe how the SHU specifically differs from other units at MCC? A So, for a regular housing unit, the inmates are let out and they can move around, whereas in the SHU, you're locked in for 23 hours and you're only out for 1 hour, and it's a more secure area. The only inmates that's out would be, like, the orderlies. Q What are those? A The orderlies are inmates that are considered to have privileges. They're allowed to, like, come out to clean or the law library. Q Okay. I know you touched on this in your opening statement, but was there any special training that you had to undergo in order to be assigned to the SHU? A Yes. Q And did you complete the special training that was required? A No. Q Why not? A Because I was out on an injury. Q You mentioned, going back one question, that there were orderlies in the SHU. Was Mr. Epstein considered an orderly? A No. Q Why not? A I don't make the decision on who becomes an orderly. I don't know. Q Okay. Do you know how it was decided? A Of who becomes an orderly? No, I don't know. Q Okay. Back to the special training, were you ever directed by supervisors to say that you had"
8992,9,17,Page 18,,,"completed the training -- A Yes. Q -- when you had not? Can you provide more details about what happened there? A When I came back from the injury, I was told to report to the supervisor. When I went to her, she asked me to sign the training log to say that I completed the SHU training, because that was my assigned post at the time. So I informed her that but I didn't complete the training. She told me not to worry about it, to just sign it, because they need to pass program review. Q Do you know if there were other correctional officers that she told the same thing to? A I don't know. Mr. Foy. May I have a word real quick? Ms. Feyerabend. We can go off the record. [Discussion off the record.] Ms. Feyerabend. We can go back on the record. Ms. Noel. Oh, and when she asked me to sign, she also asked me not to date it. Ms. Feyerabend. Why was that? Ms. Noel. I guess because the date where I was signing would've not -- would've conflicted with the time that the training actually took place. Mr. Grant. And who was the supervisor? What was the supervisor's name? Ms. Noel. Kimberly Shivers. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Do you have any idea whether that was an ordinary practice by supervisors for the SHU? A I don't know. Q Understanding that you did not complete the training, did you know what the training entailed?"
8993,9,18,Page 19,,,"A No. Q Okay. Did you ever hear anybody talk about the training? A No. Q When you were in the SHU, what was the breakdown of your team? A Like, how many people? Q Sure. How many total people on staff in the SHU. A So the SHU had myself and two other correctional officers on the 4:00-p.m.-to-midnight shift. On the 12:00-p.m.-to-8:00-a.m. shift, it was two people. Q Did you have people working over you? A Could you clarify? Q Sure. When you were on shift, did you have any supervisors that were also working at that time? A Yes. Q Okay. How many of those were there? A The supervisor would be considered the lieutenants. So there's about, I want to say, four or five lieutenants, all not on at the same time but rotating their shifts. Q Okay. So when you were on shift from the 4:00-p.m.-to-midnight shift, it would be you, one other correctional officer, and one to four lieutenants? A No. So, on shift 4:00 to midnight, it would be me and two correctional officers in the SHU. In the building, it would be the lieutenants downstairs in the lieutenants' office, about two or three, maybe, on a shift. Q Okay. Going back to the training, were you ever told to complete the training after you started working in the SHU? A For SHU training, no."
8994,9,19,Page 20,,,"Q Okay. So you signed and then began working. A Correct. Q Okay. Thank you. Did you know if the number of people on staff in the SHU was typical, or were you guys understaffed? A We were understaffed. Q How understaffed would you say? A It's supposed to be four people, not three, but it was three. Q Okay. What kinds of problems or issues did that cause, the understaffing? A A lot of mandated overtime. Q So the overtime hours were not voluntary. A No. Q Okay. A Can I clarify that? Q Sure. A The overtime is not voluntary, it's mandated, but we volunteer because, when you volunteer, you get to pick your post versus, when they mandate you, they put you where they want you to go. So, because we know we're going to get mandated, we volunteer on the front end, like I explained in my opening statement, versus getting hit with mandation on the back end to where they need you to go. Q Who was instituting the mandatory overtime hours? A On that day, Lieutenant Cannata. Q And how often would you or other correctional officers in the SHU have to work overtime?"
8995,9,20,Page 21,,,"A Every day. Q How many shifts would you work a week? A Five days of double shifts, but on your last day, you can't be mandated, so it'd be 4. Q Was every shift that you worked -- did that include an overtime shift? A Yes. Q So 8 hours, plus -- A Another 8. Q So 16-hour total shifts. A Correct. Q What were your shifts like while you were working in the SHU? A My shift was 4:00 to midnight, and I had 1 day where it was a 2:00 to 10:00. Q How would you describe working a shift in the SHU? A When you come in for your shift at 4 o'clock, counts are being done, and immediately after that, you're getting ready to feed inmates. And after that, I kind of always wait on the directive from the senior officer that I'm working with, because I don't really know how to work the SHU. So whatever they ask me or tell me to do. I kind of lean on the senior person. Q Was Officer Michael Thomas -- was he a senior officer? A Yes. Q Okay. On a typical shift, you said you would feed the inmates. Were there any other responsibilities that you had on every shift? A Giving out toiletries -- for example, toilet paper; rounds. Q Were those responsibilities expected of you on every shift, or did they differ? A In the SHU, yes."
8996,9,21,Page 22,,,"Q Okay. Did they differ by the time of day or the hour of shifts that you're working? A No. Q Would you always complete all of your duties? A To the best of my recollection, not all the time. Q Okay. Why not? A Because sometimes we don't have enough people, so, depending on the task, it probably can't get done because there is not enough people to get it done. Or sometimes it is enough people, but because they're tired, it doesn't get done correctly. Mr. Emmer. Did you prioritize which tasks were most important when you decided -- or when some certain tasks weren't completed? Ms. Noel. No. I just kind of went with the flow of whoever I was working with at the time. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q You mentioned that you worked with a senior officer and then there were also people above you while you were on shift. Did you have a good relationship with those people that you worked with? A Yes. Q Have you ever had any issues with any of your colleagues? A No. Q Would anyone else ever instruct you on how to do your role while in the SHU? A No. Q What kind of authority did you have to make decisions? A I would say I didn't have authority to make decisions. I was just a correctional officer. Q Okay. Ms. Feyerabend. I believe we have another member that's entered. Would you please introduce yourself for the record?"
8997,9,22,Page 23,,,"Ms. Stansbury. Good morning. I'm Melanie Stansbury. I represent New Mexico's First Congressional District. Ms. Feyerabend. Thank you. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q While you were in the SHU, what cell blocks or areas were you responsible for overseeing? A All of them. Q Okay. How many cell blocks total were in the SHU? A Six. Q Who can access the SHU? A From the outside? Q Uh-huh. A Anyone can access the SHU from the outside if Control pops the door and lets you in. Q By ""everyone,"" do you mean MCC staff? A Correct. Q Okay. So it's not closed off to SHU-only employees? A Correct. Q Okay. Could you walk us through the procedures required for conducting cell checks as an officer in the SHU? A A cell check? Q Like, rounds, doing your rounds. A Okay. So, during the rounds, there is an officer that opens the grille, which is the door of the tier, and then the other officer goes down and checks on every single person and come around, check on"
8998,9,23,Page 24,,,"every single person, and exit. Q When you say ""check on every person"" -- A Seeing an alive, breathing body. Q Would that require you to enter the cell? A No. Q Okay. Would you look through a window? A A window. Q Would you talk to them? A Sometimes. Q Okay. Can you describe how would you access the SHU when you would start your shift? A When I get to the door, Control has to let me in the first door. Then, when you come through that door, there's a second door, and the officer on the inside has to let you in the second door. Q So would you say that's two layers of security -- A Correct. Q -- to be able to get in? Would you have to scan in? Did you have a badge or anything like that? A No. Q I understand MCC is a high-rise building. A Correct. Q Would you go up an elevator to get up to the SHU? A Correct. Q Okay. What floor was the SHU on? A Ninth floor."
8999,9,24,Page 25,,,"Q Out of how many? A Ten. Q Do you think there was any reason why it was as high up as it was? A I don't know. Q Okay. Could you explain to us the layout of the SHU block, or the SHU unit, at the MCC? A So, when you enter the SHU and you walk towards the center, the common area, there's a desk with computers. Before the desk, there are two tiers, up and down. Then, to the, if you're facing the desk, left, in the middle there's two more tiers, up and down. And then off to the far left, there's the last two tiers, up and down. So it's really like a circle. It's, like, the desk and then the two tiers, two tiers, two tiers. And then, going up the last set of tiers, you could go up to the 10 South wing. Q So does that make it two or three tiers total? A Well, 10 South is technically not connected. So, in SHU, it is still 6. But you can access the door there to go to 10 South, which is another unit. Q Okay. That's not included in the SHU? A Correct. Q How many inmates are typically housed in the SHU? A SHU, it varies, because SHU doesn't have to be full, because people are placed in the SHU for different reasons. So it could be any number. Q Why would inmates go to the SHU? A Some inmates go to the SHU for disciplinary segregation. Some inmates go because they have to be separated. Some, because they're high-profile. Q Would they ever go for mental-health reasons?"
9000,9,25,Page 26,,,"A I am not sure. Q How long did inmates typically stay in the SHU? A I don't know. Q You mentioned some inmates would go to the SHU for disciplinary reasons, some would go for the fact that they were high-profile. Why was Mr. Epstein sent to the SHU? A Mr. Epstein was in the SHU because he was a high-profile inmate. Q And not because of his mental-health issues at the time? A Correct. Q Okay. Is there any reason why SHU inmates would be assigned to a cell in the upper tier versus the lower tier? A No. Q So, like, a high-profile inmate wouldn't go to an upper tier versus a lower tier? A No. Q Okay. Where was Mr. Epstein's cell located within the SHU unit? A As soon as you enter the SHU, the first two tiers, he was on the top tier, the first door to your right. Q Do you know the name of the staircase that he would've been next to? A I can't remember. I -- Q Okay. Does L tier -- A I was gonna say, I think it's L. Q -- trigger your recollection? Where was Mr. Epstein's cell in relation to your station? A So the cell block, when you go up the stairs, the desk is, like, right off to the left. As far"
9001,9,26,Page 27,,,"as feet, I don't know. Q Was your station on the same level as Mr. Epstein's cell? A No. So he would've been up the stairs, and the desk would've been on the ground. Q Could you estimate about how long it would take for you to walk to his cell? A Oh, to walk? Like, 2 minutes. Q I know you mentioned him previously, but who is Officer Michael Thomas? A Officer Michael Thomas is the materials handler officer that worked with me on August 10th, 2019, from midnight to 8:00 in the morning. Q And he -- did he work the 4:00-p.m.-to-midnight shift on August 9th? A No. Q Who worked that shift with you? A Davis and Bonhomme (ph). Q How long had you and Officer Thomas worked together in the SHU? A That was my first time working with Officer Thomas. Q It doesn't seem like there were that many correctional officers working in the SHU. Was it just happenstance, happenchance, that you -- A Worked with him? Q Yeah. A Uh-huh. Q Okay. Had you worked together with him in any other MCC unit? A No, we never worked any units before. Q You mentioned he was a senior correctional officer. A Yes. Q Would that make him technically your supervisor? A So he wouldn't be my supervisor. He was a correctional officer before, and then he"
9002,9,27,Page 28,,,"got promoted to materials handler, but not making him my supervisor. Q So you both had authority to make your decisions -- A Yes. Q -- while on shift? A Yes. Q Okay. Did you consider him -- I know you said you only worked one shift with him, but in that time, did you consider him to be a good employee? A No. Q Why not? A Because he was tired. Q From working long shifts? A Correct. Q Overtime shifts? A Overtime. Q Mandated overtime shifts? A Yes. Q Did you and Mr. Thomas have a good working relationship? A That was actually my first time working with him, so I would say we didn't have any relationship. Q Okay. Had y'all spoken -- or did y'all speak during your shift? A Yes. Q Do you remember what you discussed? A I went to him to conduct the count, and he expressed to me that he was tired. Q So, because he was tired, he wouldn't --"
9003,9,28,Page 29,,,"A Correct. Q -- do the count? A Correct. Q What was your response to that? A ""Okay."" Q So did you, in fact, do the count by yourself? A At 10:00. Q Okay. A Improperly. [Discussion off the record.] Ms. Noel. Just to clarify, Thomas got on at 12:00. That count that I did at 10:00 wouldn't have been when he was there. When he was there, I didn't do any. Ms. Feyerabend. When did you leave MCC? Ms. Noel. August 10th. Mr. Grant. You mentioned that you did the 10:00 p.m. count improperly. What about that made it improper? Ms. Noel. Because I did it by myself, and a count is supposed to be conducted with two people. Mr. Grant. Thank you. Ms. Noel. You're welcome. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q So you left August 10th, 2019. Why did you leave? A That was the morning my shift was over at 8:00 a.m. Q Okay. Were you -- maybe I should clarify, ""leave MCC"" meaning when did you stop working --"
9004,9,29,Page 30,,,"A August -- Q -- for Metropolitan -- A As in -- so the last day I was in the building was August 10th. When they terminated me? I don't remember exactly the date. Mr. Foy. But that was -- Ms. Feyerabend. But you were -- Mr. Foy. It was years -- Ms. Noel. Yeah. It was years later, though. But -- BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Were you terminated from MCC as a result of what happened the morning of August 10th, 2019? A Correct. Q Was there an internal review that was conducted by MCC following the incident of Jeffrey Epstein's death? A Yes. Q Was there one conducted by the Federal Bureau of Prisons? A Yes. Q Were you interviewed as a part of those reviews? A Yes. Q What were the findings of those? What were you asked about in those reviews? Do you recall? A I was asked about the culture of MCC, the mandations, the counts, the rounds. Q And what did you tell either MCC or BOP about the culture and everything you just mentioned? A I spoke about how often we were mandated to work. As a result of that, the job was"
9005,9,30,Page 31,,,"not performed accurately because every -- people were tired. And I attempted to do the count and the rounds, but it has to be conducted with two people, so if the other person is tired, then it cannot be carried out accurately. I also took accountability for performing my job and duties inaccurately. Q Thank you. A You're welcome. Q Why was Mr. Epstein moved to the SHU? A I don't know. Q When did you first learn that Jeffrey Epstein was being moved to the SHU? A When Epstein came in, he went straight to the SHU. So moved, like, cell block? Or moved, like, into the SHU? Q Into the SHU. A He came into SHU. Q Okay. And do you remember the date of that? A He came in in July of 2019. Q Were there any discussions amongst the MCC staff or specifically the SHU staff that Jeffrey Epstein was going to be incarcerated at MCC? A No. Q Was he known to you or to others, to the best of your knowledge, before he was incarcerated? A So, for others, I don't know. For me, no. Q So, for the record, did you know who Mr. Epstein was at the time? A No. Q Had you ever personally spoken to Mr. Epstein prior to him being moved to the SHU? A ""Moved"" is --"
9006,9,31,Page 32,,,"Q Okay. A He came into the SHU in July, and I worked in the SHU from June. So, to me, he wasn't moved; he was always in the SHU. Q Okay. I'll rephrase then. A Uh-huh. Q So did you ever speak with Mr. Epstein prior to him being in -- A The jail? No. Q -- the jail? So Mr. Epstein, as we all know now, was a high-profile figure; that's why was moved into the SHU. And his case was pretty widely known and reported on before he was incarcerated at MCC. Were any aspects of his case or any of his crimes discussed amongst MCC staff? A No. Not to me. Q No one, to your knowledge, spoke about Mr. Epstein? A To me, no. Q Okay. How long was Mr. Epstein at MCC before his death on August 10th, 2019? A He came in in July, to August 10th, so -- Q And you were assigned to work in the SHU for the entire time that Mr. Epstein was held there. Is that correct? A Correct. Q Roughly how many shifts did you work during the time that Mr. Epstein was in the SHU? A I don't know, to give you an actual number. But from June to August 10th. Q June is when you started working in the SHU. A Correct. Q Okay. But Mr. Epstein didn't --"
9007,9,32,Page 33,,,"A Get there until July. Q Yeah. And you said earlier that you worked four to five times a week? A Uh-huh. Q Shifts a week? A Correct. Q Sixteen-hour-long shifts. A Sixteen. Q Okay. While you were on shift, were you directly responsible for Mr. Epstein's cell? A No. Q How so? A I was responsible for all the inmates in the SHU, not Mr. Epstein's cell. Q Sure, but Mr. Epstein's cell was included in all of the cells that you were responsible for? A Yes. Q Okay. How often were you required to check his cell when you were on duty? A The standard required time, conducting irregular 30-minute rounds and counts. Q So could you kind of help me explain this a little bit? So you did rounds that were every half-hour? A Yes. Q But then the counts were different than the rounds? A Yes. Q How so? A The counts were conducted at -- so, like, I start at 4:00. There's a 4:00, there's a 10:00, midnight, 3:00 a.m., and 5:00 a.m. Q 4:00, 10:00 p.m. --"
9008,9,33,Page 34,,,"A 12:00 -- Q -- 12:00 a.m. -- A -- 3:00, 5:00. Q And were you responsible for each of those counts -- A Yes. Q -- from August 9th to August 10th? A Correct. Q Okay. A Let me just clarify. So, on the 4:00, there's three of us working, so there's two people that have to count. So I don't necessarily have to count. It just has to be two people. Q And this was the same requirement, the counts and the rounds, for all inmates that were housed in the SHU? A SHU. Correct. Q Okay. What was the difference between a round and a count in terms of what you were actually doing or looking for or your responsibilities at that time? A Because a count, you're counting and also making sure you're seeing a live, breathing body. But a round is just seeing a live, breathing body; you're not necessarily counting how many people are in there. Q So the rounds were a bit more relaxed, so to speak? A Correct. Q Okay. So what were the goals or purposes of a round and a count? I know you just mentioned, but if you could -- A A round would be to make sure that everyone's okay. A count would be to account for"
9009,9,34,Page 35,,,"the amount of people that's housed in the unit. Q Okay. Mr. Foy. You might want to let them know -- Ms. Feyerabend. We can go off the record. [Discussion off the record.] Ms. Feyerabend. We can go back on the record. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Would you fill out any kind of log or report for a round or a count? A So a count happens throughout the whole institution, like, at those specific times that I give you. The irregular rounds every 30 minutes in the SHU is specific to the SHU, not a regular housing unit. In the SHU, the logs are filled out for rounds. The counts -- it's also filled out throughout the whole institution for a count. Mr. Foy. If I could just have one more word with -- Ms. Feyerabend. Sure. We can go off the record. [Discussion off the record.] Ms. Feyerabend. We can go back on the record. Ms. Noel. Just to clarify, the rounds in the SHU, it's twice an hour, with no more than 40 minutes in between, so it's irregular rounds. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Okay. Were you required to fill out a report for every one of those irregular rounds? A Yes. Q What did that report look like? A A log sheet. Q How long would that take you to complete?"
9010,9,35,Page 36,,,"A For the log sheet, I would fill it out before -- like, filling it in before -- or sometimes after, depending on the day, in hopes to make the rounds, not at the accurate time that it's being filled out. Q Was that how it was supposed to be done? A No, but that's how I seen them do it, so I did that same thing. Q Did someone show you how to do it that way? A Not specifically showing me, but that's how I observed them doing it. Q Okay. And what were you writing down on the round log? A The time. Q So you would have -- would you have -- A Like, it'd be the tiers, so I think it'll say, like, ""L tier,"" ""J tier,"" and then it'll have the times. Q Okay. A And your signature, your initials. Q What was the signature supposed to represent? A Who did it. Q Okay. And were you certifying that the inmates were in their cells? A No. You're certifying that you made the round. Q Okay. A I think the count would be that you're certifying that they're in their cell. Q Okay. Would you ever report, whether on a round or for an institutional count, any unusual activities? A No. Q Anything out of the ordinary, that wouldn't get reported? A No. Q You would only report for the number of inmates for the count and for the round, that"
9011,9,36,Page 37,,,"they were, in fact, checked on and -- A Yes. Q Okay. What were -- the cell blocks in the SHU, what were the lock systems like? A A regular lock. Like, you put the key in, you turn, and it's locked. Q So a physical key. A Yes. Q Would you ever -- whether you were conducting a count or a round, would you ever physically unlock the door? A So the person -- the keys are -- the person that's on the grille doesn't have the key for the cell door. And then the -- the person that's going downrange doesn't have the key for the -- for the cell door. Q Okay. A So it -- you can't really -- not that you can't, but you wouldn't have it. Q So would the access to lock or unlock the door -- the person that was doing the range wouldn't have a key with them. A Right. It'd be the -- Q Okay. A It'd be the person on the grille. Q Was that standard? A Yes. Q Was that, like, protocol that was required? A Yes. BY MR. EMMER: Q And I apologize if I'm going to make you repeat yourself, but you'd mentioned earlier"
9012,9,37,Page 38,,,"that a count required two individuals to conduct. Is that right? A Yes. Q Was that the same for a round? A For a round, no. Q And you had mentioned that Mr. Thomas had told you earlier in the night in question that he didn't want to do a count. Did he ever make any comments about not wanting to do rounds as well? A So let me explain. So, with a count, the person is on the grille, and then one person goes down and counts. Then you switch places; the other person goes down and counts. With a round, you still need two people because somebody has to open the gate, but the one person can make the round. The one person doesn't have to go behind after. So you still need two people physically going to the tier, but the round can just be one person. The count, you have to cross-count. Ms. Feyerabend. What's the gate that you just mentioned? Ms. Noel. Every cell block has a gate, the grille. So, like, to get in the cell block, you're opening the grille door. Ms. Feyerabend. Okay."
9013,9,38,Page 39,,,"[10:59 a.m.] Mr. Emmer. Just a general question here. You had mentioned Mr. Thomas and not wanting to conduct the counts. Was that the first time that had happened during your time working the SHU where an individual said they don't want to conduct counts? Ms. Noel. No because I worked the 4 to midnight also where my other colleague was tired from working a triple. He was on the 22nd hour of his shift. Mr. Emmer. Thank you. Mr. Grant. Who was that colleague? Ms. Noel. Bonhomme. Ms. Noel. His name? Bonhomme. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q So moving forward to August 9, 2019, you checked into your shift at 4 p.m. that day. Is that correct? A Correct. Q And what time did you leave the next day? A After 8. Q A.m.? A A.m., Correct. Q How many rounds did you conduct in the SHU on your shift on that night? A On the 4 to midnight? Q Yeah. A I don't have an exact number. But I did a few rounds. I can't tell you an exact number. Q And what about counts? A For counts, I counted at 10, improperly."
9014,9,39,Page 40,,,"Q Improperly because Officer Thomas did not do it with you? A Bonhomme. Q Bonhomme. Thank you. How many rounds would you say that Mr. Epstein's cell got the night of August 9th, 2019? A I can't give you an exact number but a few. Like, we went to go feed -- while you're feeding, you're going to each -- each tier. You're conversing with the inmate. You give out toilet paper. You're going to each cell. You're conversing with the inmate. So there was a few. I can't give you an exact number. And that was on the 4 to midnight, and Epstein was not there the entire shift. Epstein would have came up later on that evening because he was in attorney conference, just to be clear. So, like, at 4 when I had come on, he's not there. Q Do you know what time he came into his cell? A I want to say after 8. Q What did that process look like, the moving of a SHU inmate from one cell, like, with his attorneys, to his SHU cell? A So when Epstein got to the SHU, he came in the SHU with -- his name was Bullock. And he was placed in a shower. He didn't go directly to his -- to his cell. But placed in the shower to use the phone, not to shower. Q Why was there a phone in the shower? A Because that's the only jack that works near the shower. So he was placed there where they plugged it in there because the jack was closest to that shower cell. Q Could inmates make calls from the shower? A That's where they put them in SHU to make the call because the jack is there. Q Right. Could they make calls any time they wanted to shower? A No."
9015,9,40,Page 41,,,"Q Was that regulated? A So in the SHU, it's specific to, like, a certain time that you get to use the phone, and I think if you're on the disciplinary, you don't get to use it. That's, like, different. But that day, Bullock allowed Mr. Epstein to use the phone. Q And Bullock was the correctional officer that was -- A No. Bullock -- Bullock was a counselor. Q Okay. A A unit counselor. Q Okay. BY MR. GRANT: Q You mentioned that you would converse with inmates when giving them their food or when giving them toiletries such as toilet paper. Can you recall what your interactions with Mr. Epstein were when you would interact with him? Did he seem in good spirits? Did he -- you have conversations? A He was never there for that. Q He was never there for that. Okay. A Correct. Q Is that usual that an inmate is never there when you're providing food or providing toiletries? A For Epstein because he's downstairs with his attorney the entire time that he is allotted to be with his attorney. So 90 percent of the time, he's not on the -- the SHU unit. Q Understood. Thank you. A You're welcome. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Were you aware that Mr. Epstein attempted to commit suicide in his cell on July 23rd,"
9016,9,41,Page 42,,,"2019? A Yes. Q How did you become aware of this incident? A An inmate told me. Q Do you know which inmate? A Tartaglione. Q Is that Mr. Nicholas Tartaglione? A Yes. Q How soon after the incident happened were you made aware of it? A The next day. Q Was that your next shift? A Yes. Q So the inmate told you on your next shift. A Correct. Mr. Grant. Did anyone else at the MCC inform you of Mr. Epstein's suicide attempt? The first one? Ms. Noel. Not to my recollection, no. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q Were you involved in any way of this handling of the incident? A Of the attempted suicide? Q Yes. A I wasn't on shift that day. Q Okay. Was there anything that was happening the next day while you were on shift? A No. Mr. Foy. I need to have a word real quick with Ms. Noel."
9017,9,42,Page 43,,,"Ms. Feyerabend. Go off the record. [Discussion off the record.] Ms. Feyerabend. We can go back on the record. Mr. Foy. The thing I'm trying to clarify, right, you're saying that Jeffrey Epstein attempted to commit suicide on July 23rd, 2019. After the fact, of course, there were reports to suggest that maybe he didn't, right? That it was some sort of way to manipulate his cell situation and different things, whether -- right? -- Tartaglione did something to him and then, of course, Jeffrey doesn't remember what happened. So when we're saying he tried to commit suicide on July 23rd, that's not her saying that because it's up in the air whether that was actually a suicide attempt versus a manipulation on behalf of Epstein in this case. Ms. Feyerabend. Sure. Mr. Foy. So I just didn't want it to be that she is somehow confirming that he tried to kill himself on July 23rd. Ms. Feyerabend. And we have some questions that will come up -- Mr. Foy. Okay. Ms. Feyerabend. -- that will help clarify that. Mr. Foy. All right. Ms. Feyerabend. But thank you. Mr. Foy. Yeah. Ms. Feyerabend. So for now, we'll just refer to it as ""the incident."" Ms. Noel. Okay. BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q As a result of this incident, were you directed to take any specific approaches to Mr. Epstein? A No."
9018,9,43,Page 44,,,"Q Did you have to make any sort of special reports? A No. Q Fill out any logs? A No. Q Make note of any of his behaviors? A No. Q Did you have to speak to any MCC psychologists? A No. Q Would MCC psychologists come and visit Mr. Epstein while you were on shift? A No. Q At no point while you were working in the SHU did you see an MCC psychologist visit Mr. Epstein? A No, not on my shift. Q Did you know whether they did? A I don't know. Q We mentioned Mr. Tartaglione. Who did you understand him to be at the time? A Tartaglione was Mr. Epstein's prior cellmate. Q When you say ""prior,"" what time frame are you referring to? A Because after that incident, then Mr. Epstein got a different cellmate. Q In the SHU, correct? A Correct. Ms. Feyerabend. I'd like to enter majority exhibit 1. This is a New York Times article titled, quote, ""Purported suicide note is released,"" end quote. The New York Times recently reported that a Federal judge in White Plains, New York, recently released Jeffrey Epstein's purported suicide note. We'll pass that out and have you take a look at it for just a minute."
9019,9,44,Page 45,,,"[Noel Majority Exhibit No. 1 was marked for identification.] BY MS. FEYERABEND: Q So on the front, you'll see the New York Times article that was published on May 6, 2026, and then the photo of the purported suicide note. I can read how the New York Times Article quoted it. A Okay. Q The note reads, quote, they investigated me for months, found nothing, two exclamation marks, so 16 year old charges resulted. It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye. What you want me to do, bust out crying, no fun, not worth it. End quote. Have you ever seen this suicide note before? A No. Never. Q Do you know whether this suicide note belongs to Jeffrey Epstein? A I don't know. Q The New York Times article says that Mr. Tartaglione said he discovered the suicide note in July 2019, after Mr. Epstein's first suicide attempt. Did Mr. Tartaglione ever speak to you or any other correctional officers about the note? A Speak to me about the note? No. To anyone else, I'm not aware. Q Were you ever made aware at the time that a suicide note was discovered? A No. This is my first time seeing it. Q Okay. Did you ever witness or hear anything from other correctional officers about Jeffrey Epstein writing a suicide note? A No. Q Are you aware that when officers responded to Mr. Epstein at 1:27 a.m. on July 23rd, 2019, he was found to be unresponsive, on the floor, and with an orange fabric noose around his"
9020,9,45,Page 46,,,"neck? A In July, I was not working. No. Q Okay. Are you aware that Mr. Epstein had told officers he thought he had been attacked by his cellmate, Mr. Tartaglione, in his cell? A I learned that after. Q How soon after? A When it came out in the paper. Q Okay. Mr. Tartaglione, he denies these accusations and claims that he was the one who called for help. Were you aware of that? A In -- no. Only in the paper I saw that after. Q Okay. Do you have any reason to believe that Mr. Epstein did not attempt suicide on July 23rd, 2019? A I don't, no. Q Do you have any further details of what transpired in the early morning hours of July 23rd, 2019, in Mr. Epstein and Mr. Tartaglione's cell? A No. I was not working. Q Okay. Thank you. A You're welcome. Q Were you ever paid not to check Mr. Epstein's cell the night before his death? A Never. Q Did anyone ever force you to not check Mr. Epstein's cell? A Never. Q Did anyone ever threaten you to not check Mr. Epstein's cell? A Never. Q Did anyone ever ask you to not check Mr. Epstein's cell?"
9021,9,46,Page 47,,,"A Never. Q Do you know whether Mr. Thomas was paid not to check Mr. Epstein's cell? A I don't know. Q Do you know whether Mr. Thomas was forced to not check Mr. Epstein's cell? A I don't know. Q Do you know whether Mr. Thomas was threatened to not check Mr. Epstein's cell? A I don't know. Q Did anyone ever ask Mr. Thomas to not check Mr. Epstein's cell? A I don't know. Mr. Emmer. Thank you. We're coming to the end of the majority's first hour. We're going to discuss this more specifically during the upcoming hours, but there's been payments that have been identified, or reported on, that have been suspicious. Specifically, there was a cash deposit of $5,000 from an unknown sender on July 30th, 2019, just 10 days before Jeffrey Epstein's death. What was that payment for? Ms. Noel. So you said a unknown sender? Like, I deposited my money into my bank account. And that's from my personal savings plan. And no one has ever approached me about money or given me money in reference to Mr. Epstein at all, ever. Mr. Emmer. For the record, you never -- is it your testimony that you never received any money from Jeffrey Epstein or anyone affiliated with Jeffrey Epstein as it relates to his incarceration at MCC? Ms. Noel. Correct. Ms. Feyerabend. I think that will be the end of our first hour. We can go off the record. [Discussion off the record.] . We can go back on the record."
9022,9,47,Page 48,,,": Q Good morning, Ms. Noel. A Good morning. Q My name is Giancarlo Pellegrini. I'll be doing most of the questioning for the minority today. First, thank you for your time and thank you for your service to our country. We appreciate it. A You're welcome. Q As you know, today's conversation will focus on your work at the MCC and the circumstances surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's death. I wanted to start for a moment with a topic that just came up at the end of the previous hour, those cash payments. One of the documents that was released in the DOJ files says that in November of 2019, J.P. Morgan Chase provided a suspicious activity report to the FBI regarding 12 cash deposits that you made between April 2018 and July 2019. I know you were just asked a moment ago. Was there any connection between those deposits and your official duties at the MCC? A No. Q Was there any connection, direct or indirect, between those deposits and Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell in any way? A No. Q There was a deposit specifically for $5,000 on July 30th of 2019, so that's about 11 days before Mr. Epstein died. I know that's included in what I just asked, but was there any connection of any kind specifically between that deposit and your official duties at the MCC? A No. Q Was there any connection of any kind between that deposit and the death of Jeffrey Epstein?"
9023,9,48,Page 49,,,"A No. Q And any connection, direct or indirect, between that deposit and Jeffrey Epstein or Ghislaine Maxwell in any way? A No. Q Okay. Thank you. A You're welcome. Q We're going to ask some questions. Some of them are similar to what you were already asked. We have tried to cross those out so you don't have to get asked the same thing twice. A Okay. Q We might not always successfully accomplish that, but we'll do our best. A Okay. Q Couple of questions going to the layout in the SHU. You described there are, I think, six different tiers. Is that right? A Correct. Q And how many cells in each tier? A That, I don't remember. Q Is there a locked door for each tier? You talked about the grille. A Grille. Q What's the grille? A It's the -- so it's -- because it's a grille, because it's not an actual door and that's what allows you to enter the tier, and that's locked. Q And so there's a physical key to get into that? A To -- yes. Q Okay. So to get into any of the tiers, one of the COs needs a key --"
9024,9,49,Page 50,,,"A Key. Correct. Q Okay. We do have an additional member who has since joined us. If that member could just identify himself. Mr. Khanna. Ro Khanna from California 17. . Thank you. : Q How many -- in the SHU specifically, how many inmates would there typically be in each cell? A It could be one or two. Q Is there any rhyme or reason as to whether it's one or two? A So the SHU doesn't have to be full. If it's full, then it will be two because the maximum it can hold in one cell is two. But it could be just one. Q As far as you can recall, would it be one in every cell, and then once that's done, you start adding cellmates? A No. So like, for example, let's say if on L tier there is, like, everybody paired up and somebody got in trouble from a different unit and they're coming and they're single, they have to place them in a cell. So they may be alone until somebody else comes in that has to go to the SHU or if somebody else got in trouble, then they could pair them with them. Or, if for whatever reason, that inmate, for whatever their stipulation is, needs to be with someone, they can move someone from someplace else and put them with them. So it can be single or double depending on what specific to the inmate is going on. Q Thank you. That's helpful. The SHU, I think, we read had a -- had two different entrances, a primary entrance and a secondary entrance. Is that right? A Correct."