Segments
where deposition_id = 9
135 records
| id ▼ | deposition_id | segment_index | speaker | start_seconds | end_seconds | text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8975 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 ASH… | ||
| 8977 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 8979 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 fo… | ||
| 8980 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 i… | ||
| 8981 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 u… | ||
| 8982 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 o… | ||
| 8983 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 8984 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 8985 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 phr… | ||
| 8986 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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,… | ||
| 8987 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 8988 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 8989 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 8990 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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. A… | ||
| 8991 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 allo… | ||
| 8992 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 kno… | ||
| 8993 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 als… | ||
| 8994 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 o… | ||
| 8995 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 y… | ||
| 8996 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 wer… | ||
| 8997 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 8998 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 8999 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 th… | ||
| 9000 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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?… | ||
| 9001 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 --… | ||
| 9002 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 relat… | ||
| 9003 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 th… | ||
| 9004 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 9005 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 str… | ||
| 9006 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 9007 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 h… | ||
| 9008 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 9009 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 hous… | ||
| 9010 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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.… | ||
| 9011 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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'… | ||
| 9012 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 9013 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 nam… | ||
| 9014 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 tha… | ||
| 9015 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 gi… | ||
| 9016 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 … | ||
| 9017 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 9018 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 9019 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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, bu… | ||
| 9020 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 attem… | ||
| 9021 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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… | ||
| 9022 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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.… | ||
| 9023 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 descri… | ||
| 9024 | Tova Noel — House Oversight Committee 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 coul… |