Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Guards Facing Charges In Epstein's Suicide Say Blame Lies With Systemic Failures In Prison System
The New York Times: Epstein Suicide: Guards Say They’re Scapegoats For A Broken System
Two jail guards who were on duty when Jeffrey Epstein killed himself browsed the internet and napped during the night before his body was found, instead of checking on him every half-hour as they were required to do, prosecutors have said. The guards then lied, prosecutors said, on official logs, indicating that they had made the rounds when they had not. ... But lawyers for the guards, who have been criminally charged, suggested in court on Monday that their clients were being made into scapegoats for larger problems in the federal prison system that contributed to Mr. Epstein’s death. (Weiser, 11/25)
The New York Times: Barr Says Epstein’s Suicide Resulted From ‘Perfect Storm Of Screw-Ups’
Attorney General William P. Barr said in an interview published on Friday that the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier accused of sex trafficking, in a secure federal prison resulted from “a perfect storm of screw-ups,” rather than any nefarious act. Mr. Barr’s statement refuted suggestions from members of Mr. Epstein’s family that he may have been murdered. His remarks came the same week that two prison guards were criminally charged, accused in an indictment of failing to check on Mr. Epstein every half-hour as they were required to and then lying about it on prison logs. (Benner, 11/22)
