Overview
- Clayton, appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Southern District of New York, is tasked with investigating people and institutions tied to Epstein.
- Public disclosures show Clayton holds between $1.5 million and $6 million in Apollo Global Management stock, along with smaller stakes in JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Bank of New York Mellon, and Citigroup.
- He previously served as Apollo’s board chairman from 2021 until his Justice Department appointment in 2025.
- Government watchdog Jeff Hauser alleges Clayton has a personal interest in narrowing the investigation, and litigation expert Chris Tobe calls the situation a clear conflict warranting resignation.
- Clayton has faced separate criticism over the DOJ’s error-ridden document redactions, and Leon Black was ordered to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit alleging Bank of America profited from Epstein’s trafficking.