1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the 2 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:08,439 Epstein Chronicles. One of the biggest problems with the Epstein 3 00:00:08,519 --> 00:00:12,800 investigation is that the federal government has decided not to 4 00:00:12,839 --> 00:00:16,280 do its job. And that's why I've called for states 5 00:00:16,519 --> 00:00:20,160 to get more active if they have information about Jeffrey 6 00:00:20,199 --> 00:00:24,120 Epstein and potential crimes that were committed by Jeffrey Epstein 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,199 at the state level, because that's really the only way 8 00:00:28,199 --> 00:00:30,800 to go around the DOJ. Right, if you bring a 9 00:00:30,839 --> 00:00:33,119 case at the state level, the DOJ doesn't have the 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,119 jurisdiction to come in and kill it. So I think 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:40,280 that to get around the DOJ that obviously doesn't care, 12 00:00:40,679 --> 00:00:44,560 that obviously isn't going to do anything to rectify this issue, 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,799 then we have to get creative, right, and that's what 14 00:00:47,799 --> 00:00:50,880 they're doing in New Mexico. And now we're hearing that 15 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:54,560 Illinois are pushing for an Epstein probe with real teeth 16 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,520 in their state as well, And I say, good, Remember, 17 00:00:58,759 --> 00:01:02,479 we have no idea just how many victims there really is. 18 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:07,599 So I think that having a commission here to try 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:09,920 and work their way through what could have happened, what 20 00:01:10,079 --> 00:01:13,799 might have happened, is a great idea because if we're 21 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:16,359 waiting for the DOJ to help us out, if we're 22 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,560 waiting for the DOJ to slap bracelets on people, we're 23 00:01:20,599 --> 00:01:24,200 going to be waiting a very, very long time. So 24 00:01:24,239 --> 00:01:27,519 today we have an article from the State Journal Register 25 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:32,319 and the headline Illinois lawmakers push for Epstein probe with 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:36,879 real teeth. The author of this article is Maggie Doherty. 27 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,599 Illinois lawmakers are calling for an independent commission to investigate 28 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,400 Illinois link crimes connected to international sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. 29 00:01:49,079 --> 00:01:52,920 Democratic lawmakers Monday joined advocates for women and survivors of 30 00:01:52,959 --> 00:01:56,920 sexual abuse to introduce House Bill fifty seven to twenty three, 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:02,239 called the Illinois Epstein Files and Investigation Act. The bill, 32 00:02:02,319 --> 00:02:05,959 if passed, would create a commission to investigate Illinois based 33 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:10,719 crimes connected to Epstein's network. Those would focus primarily on 34 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:13,680 the stories of victims in Illinois and crimes that may 35 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:18,080 have occurred in Illinois. I'm sure mister Pritzker loves hearing 36 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:21,919 this news, considering that he was credibly accused of taking 37 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,280 part in the abuse. Survivors connected to Jeffrey Epstein's trafficking 38 00:02:27,319 --> 00:02:29,759 network have been telling us the same thing. That the 39 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,080 abuse didn't happen in a vacuum, said bill sponsor Representative 40 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:41,120 abdol Nazar Rashid, Democrat from Bridgeview. There were systems behind it, 41 00:02:41,319 --> 00:02:44,120 there was power behind it, and into many cases, there 42 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,800 were institutions that look the other way, Institutions that were 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,360 supposed to protect these young girls but didn't. Not wrong 44 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:55,719 about any of that. Let's do a fact check real quick. 45 00:02:55,840 --> 00:03:00,000 Oh yep, factual. All these institutions look the other way. 46 00:03:00,599 --> 00:03:02,960 Epstein could have been stopped all the way back in 47 00:03:03,039 --> 00:03:07,520 ninety six. They chose not to, and now they should 48 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,000 have to answer for that. The measure has a long 49 00:03:10,039 --> 00:03:13,360 way to go to become a law. Rashid was listed 50 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,479 as the bill's loan sponsor as of Monday afternoon, the 51 00:03:16,599 --> 00:03:19,159 day it was filed, though he was accompanied by two 52 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:23,240 other supportive Democrat legislators. Now, look, I have no idea 53 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,800 about the local politics in Illinois or Chicago, but I'm 54 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:32,159 guessing it's volatile, and I'm guessing a lot of special 55 00:03:32,159 --> 00:03:35,319 interests have their fingers in the pie. So are the 56 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:38,479 special interest in Illinois going to allow this to occur? 57 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,240 Some kind of truth commission? I don't know. We'll have 58 00:03:41,319 --> 00:03:45,000 to see and if it does occur and it's created, 59 00:03:45,479 --> 00:03:48,159 is it going to have teeth? And that's still a 60 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,360 question I have about what's going on over in New 61 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:54,120 Mexico as well. Certainly supportive of the idea and I 62 00:03:54,159 --> 00:03:57,479 think it's a great step in the right direction, but 63 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:59,479 is it going to have teeth? Is it going to 64 00:03:59,479 --> 00:04:02,199 produce resis? And is it going to be as fearless 65 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,039 as it needs to be? Those are the questions I have. 66 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,719 The ten member commission would be appointed by the governor 67 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,039 and approved by the state Senate. At least three of 68 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,279 those members must be from a different party than the governor. 69 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,000 Members of the commission would be unpaid, but could submit 70 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:24,120 for reimbursement of expenses should the General Assembly decide to 71 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:30,040 provide funding. While Rashid said he would welcome bipartisan support, 72 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,040 the board's makeup and the governor's power over it may 73 00:04:33,079 --> 00:04:39,040 make Republican votes difficult to find. Wow, I just don't understand, honestly, 74 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,000 Like all I've heard for the last ten to fifteen 75 00:04:44,079 --> 00:04:48,800 years from MAGA is protect the children. What about the kids? 76 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,560 Don't you care about the kids? Well, here's your chance 77 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,759 to care about the kids. And unfortunately, a lot of 78 00:04:56,759 --> 00:05:02,199 people have come up short. Bill advocates say the commission 79 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,600 is needed to fill a gap left with the federal level, 80 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,279 as the US Department of Justice faces criticism for withholding 81 00:05:08,319 --> 00:05:13,199 records from the Epstein files, particularly pertaining to President Donald Trump, 82 00:05:13,439 --> 00:05:17,439 despite a law that Trump signed mandating their release. Trump's 83 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,240 mentioned more than thirty eight thousand times in the documents 84 00:05:20,399 --> 00:05:23,839 that have been released so far. Nothing to see here. 85 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:30,240 Come on, stop asking questions, how dare you? What do 86 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:34,879 you have Trump derangement syndrome? God forbid you ask questions 87 00:05:34,879 --> 00:05:39,399 about somebody who's been named thirty eight thousand times in 88 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:43,240 the Jeffrey Epstein files. God forbid? I mean, have you 89 00:05:43,319 --> 00:05:48,000 checked the dow. It's absolutely stomach churning and awful to 90 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,879 see what these survivors have been through, and to let 91 00:05:50,879 --> 00:05:53,560 the wheels of justice fall off at the federal level 92 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:59,519 is an abomination, said Representative and Stava Democrat from Naperville. 93 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,720 It's often said the will of justice turned slowly in 94 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,959 this case. We need to speed that up. Well, that 95 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,759 would be nice, but I just don't think there's going 96 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,879 to be the will there there should be, And I 97 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:16,399 don't know how anyone could stand against a commission that's 98 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,800 looking for the truth. Now, of course I'm not naive 99 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,480 a lot of politics come into play, but that's why 100 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:26,600 the Republican should be involved. If you want to make 101 00:06:26,639 --> 00:06:30,040 sure the ground is of equal footing, well, you don't 102 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,160 ignore what's going on. You get involved, You work on it, 103 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:35,519 You reach across the aisle and say, hey, look, this 104 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:37,519 is what I want to do. This is my idea. 105 00:06:37,759 --> 00:06:40,680 Let's protect the people in our state. But we all 106 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:42,800 know that won't happen. It'll turn into some kind of 107 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:47,399 mudslinging contest to see who cares about who the most. Meanwhile, 108 00:06:47,519 --> 00:06:53,920 once again, it's the survivors that are forgotten about. Tony McCombe, 109 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,879 the Republican minority leader in the House, called Epstein's crimes horrific, 110 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,959 but added creating a commission here may generate headlines, but 111 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,720 it does not deliver justice to victims. Well, how do 112 00:07:04,759 --> 00:07:09,480 you know? Did you investigate anything? Or did James Comer 113 00:07:09,519 --> 00:07:11,120 tell you that you know, there's nothing left to see 114 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,839 here and we're gonna move on. I mean, what is 115 00:07:13,879 --> 00:07:16,199 wrong with people? Do they really think they understand what's 116 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,839 going on with this story? Like I have bad news 117 00:07:20,079 --> 00:07:23,439 the vast majority of people have a very surface level 118 00:07:23,519 --> 00:07:27,560 understanding of what happened here and just how widespread it was. 119 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:31,879 But they talk real confidently, don't They like they have 120 00:07:31,959 --> 00:07:35,360 all the answers and know exactly what went down and 121 00:07:35,439 --> 00:07:39,279 when breaking news. They don't know their ass from their elbow. 122 00:07:41,079 --> 00:07:45,720 But let's also be honest. Illinois legislators cannot subpoena federal investigators, 123 00:07:45,959 --> 00:07:50,319 prosecute international trafficking rings, or conduct a parallel federal criminal 124 00:07:50,319 --> 00:07:54,879 investigation from Springfield, said macombe, who represents the eighty ninth 125 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,800 district in northwest Illinois. Well, yeah, you can have a 126 00:07:58,839 --> 00:08:01,800 commission that does he inventstigation, and then you can refer 127 00:08:01,879 --> 00:08:05,959 the people that are investigated if crimes were committed to 128 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:10,000 local law enforcement. I know, shocking how that works, right, 129 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,680 mister McCombie. He thinks you're stupid, just like the rest 130 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:18,560 of them. The bill would give the commission investigatory authority 131 00:08:18,639 --> 00:08:22,600 to request records from state and local agencies, issue subpoenas 132 00:08:22,639 --> 00:08:27,079 for documents and testimony, and provide confidentiality protection to victims 133 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,399 and other whistleblowers. Victims would not be compelled to testify 134 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:36,919 against their wishes. According to Rashid. Like the Illinois Accountability Commission, 135 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:41,960 which is investigating potential abuses by federal immigration agents operating 136 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,519 in Illinois, the Epstein Commission would hold public meetings and 137 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:50,159 issue public reports redacted as needed for privacy. YO, whatever 138 00:08:50,159 --> 00:08:52,519 people want to do in their own state, I don't 139 00:08:52,519 --> 00:08:55,519 have any problem with it. If the lawmakers want to 140 00:08:55,519 --> 00:08:57,919 put together a commission and look into the way law 141 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:02,039 enforcements behaving good, they should. And if you're in law enforcement, 142 00:09:02,279 --> 00:09:04,559 you shouldn't be worried. Right, If you're doing everything the 143 00:09:04,639 --> 00:09:07,720 right way and you have nothing to hide, shouldn't be 144 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:12,879 a problem. It would be required to submit an initial 145 00:09:12,919 --> 00:09:16,039 report within its first year of operation, and another before 146 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:20,840 it ceases operation after five years. Any investigative files open 147 00:09:20,879 --> 00:09:23,399 out the time the Commission closes its doors would be 148 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:27,919 transferred to the Attorney General's office. This commission will have 149 00:09:27,960 --> 00:09:31,759 real teeth, subpoena power, the ability to refer criminal evidence 150 00:09:31,919 --> 00:09:34,720 to the Attorney General, and the independence to follow the 151 00:09:34,759 --> 00:09:40,759 facts wherever they lead. Senator Graciela Gusmann of Chicago said 152 00:09:41,360 --> 00:09:44,440 the bill also strengthens the Attorney General's hand by allowing 153 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:48,159 a state wide grand jury when local prosecutors can't or 154 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:53,080 won't act. Look, I think it's a good idea. Obviously, 155 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,440 you have to have evidence, right, and the way to 156 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,000 do that is to have an investigation. And as you 157 00:09:59,039 --> 00:10:02,320 all know that that has not happened. So if the 158 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,240 states want to kick off investigations, I think that's a 159 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:08,799 good idea because the federal government refuses to do it. 160 00:10:10,159 --> 00:10:12,720 So if the state wants to use something like dual sovereignty, 161 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:18,480 I'm all for it. The bill will allow the attorney 162 00:10:18,480 --> 00:10:21,240 General to call the state wide grand jury to investigate 163 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:27,320 and prosecute crimes related to Ebstein, including sexual exploitation of children, 164 00:10:27,519 --> 00:10:34,080 child pornography, human trafficking, money laundering, racketeering, and perjury. Well 165 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:38,159 they hit all the bases, huh, all the greatest hits 166 00:10:38,919 --> 00:10:42,279 because Epstein was involved in all of that. It would 167 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,519 not replace prosecutor, as Rashid said, but give the state 168 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,399 the tools it needs to fully investigate where Illinois law 169 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,480 was broken. If Illinois law was broken, people who broke 170 00:10:53,519 --> 00:10:56,039 it should be held responsible. Right. Is that some kind 171 00:10:56,039 --> 00:11:00,720 of crazy, rebellious idea. I think it's the very bottom 172 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:05,559 level of what we should expect. The governor's cousin Thomas 173 00:11:05,600 --> 00:11:09,600 Pritzker recently resigned from his role as the executive chairman 174 00:11:09,759 --> 00:11:13,840 of Hyatt Hotels after his association with Epstein and accomplice 175 00:11:13,879 --> 00:11:17,679 Glenne Maxwell came into clear review through emails released in 176 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:21,240 the Epstein files. Tranch Oh, that's not all that's been 177 00:11:21,279 --> 00:11:28,559 said about him. Virginia credibly accused Thomas Pritzker of abusing her. 178 00:11:29,159 --> 00:11:32,960 Why doesn't anyone ever talk about that? When asked about 179 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:35,879 his cousin's connection to Epstein in recent interviews, the government 180 00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:38,399 said that anyone who has done something wrong should be 181 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:41,399 held accountable. I'm not close to my cousin, but I 182 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,039 can tell you that it's very important that people be 183 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,960 held to pay the price for whatever it is they 184 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:50,519 may have done. Pritzker said. If the bill becomes law, 185 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,159 Illinois lawmakers would join New Mexico in creating state level 186 00:11:54,200 --> 00:12:00,159 bodies to investigate Epstein's criminal sex trafficking network. And it 187 00:12:00,159 --> 00:12:02,879 shouldn't be that way. The federal government should have done 188 00:12:02,879 --> 00:12:06,159 their job, but no, now we have to go back 189 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:11,200 have state investigations when evidence has already walked. People have died, 190 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:15,240 people have passed away, people have forgotten things, people have 191 00:12:15,279 --> 00:12:18,200 been paid off, probably, but sure, let's go back and 192 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,200 retroactively take a look because the federal government was too 193 00:12:21,279 --> 00:12:24,559 busy shitting on the rest of us to protect Jeffrey Epstein. 194 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,639 Epstein's Zoro ranch in New Mexico has faced scrutiny as 195 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:33,440 a hub other sex trafficking crimes. New Mexico lawmakers pass 196 00:12:33,519 --> 00:12:37,799 the bill unanimously in February. Supporters of the Illinois bill 197 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,200 said that they hope that other states would join the 198 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:44,360 fight in lieu of accountability at the national level. For years, 199 00:12:44,399 --> 00:12:46,919 the country has been told to wait, wait for Washington, 200 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,039 wait for the next document drop, wait for the next excuse, 201 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,679 wait while survivors carry the weight. Jane Ruby, president of 202 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,159 the League of Women Voters of Chicago Total reporters, if 203 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,120 justice remains a locked door in Washington, then let our 204 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,840 state be the battering ram, she added, Let Illinois lead 205 00:13:04,879 --> 00:13:07,840 the way. Hey, good for you guys. If you can 206 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,240 get it through, that's gonna be awesome. Is it going 207 00:13:10,279 --> 00:13:13,960 to find anything? Who knows, But we don't know until 208 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:17,600 we have an investigation, right, So I'm completely on board, 209 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:19,919 and this is something I've been talking about for years. 210 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,039 So it's nice to see Illinois getting on board with 211 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:26,240 this nice to see New Mexico kicking something into gear. 212 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:31,279 So now New York you're on the clock. And for 213 00:13:31,320 --> 00:13:33,039 all the big talk that comes out of New York 214 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,080 from all the politicians, you'd think they'd be on board 215 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,600 with this. So let's see what happens. But I think 216 00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:42,840 having New Mexico and Illinois do this is certainly a 217 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:45,559 step in the right direction, and I hope that Florida 218 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,519 and New York both follow suit. But like usual, we'll 219 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,679 keep an eye on things and we'll see where it 220 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:55,200 all goes. All the information that goes with this episode 221 00:13:55,399 --> 00:13:57,759 can be found in the description box.