Overview
- Chair James Comer asked Tova Noel to appear for a transcribed interview on March 26, citing Justice Department records and materials obtained by the committee.
- DOJ transparency files indicate Noel searched online for the “latest on Epstein” minutes before he was found, and surveillance noted an officer believed to be Noel carrying orange linen toward his tier at 10:40 p.m.
- Bank records show about $12,000 in small cash deposits to Noel’s account from 2018 to July 2019, including one 10 days before Epstein’s death, which prompted a suspicious activity report to the FBI; grand jury testimony said investigators found no evidence of bribery.
- In a 2021 inspector general interview, Noel said she did not recall the searches, denied handing out linen, and said she likely was the last person to see Epstein alive around 10 p.m.
- Noel and fellow guard Michael Thomas admitted skipping required checks and were charged with falsifying logs before entering deferred prosecution deals, while DOJ and the FBI maintain they found no evidence of homicide.