House Republicans have intensified their probe into the 2019 death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with former federal prison guard Tova Noel expected to face questioning before the House Oversight Committee this week.
Noel, who was on duty at New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center the night Epstein died, is believed to have been among the last people to see him alive before his death inside the high-security facility.
While New York’s medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide, the case has remained subject to public skepticism for years due to glaring security failures, missing accountability and unanswered questions surrounding the disgraced financier’s final hours.
Oversight Committee Chair James Comer stated that lawmakers are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death because many Americans remain unconvinced by the official explanation.
“No one is accusing her of wrongdoing, but we have a lot of questions about Epstein,” Comer told reporters in March.
Federal prosecutors previously alleged that Noel and another corrections officer failed to carry out required inmate checks during the overnight shift and later falsified records to make it appear the checks had been completed.
Court filings indicated that Noel spent time surfing the internet instead of monitoring prisoners in the unit where Epstein was housed.
The charges were eventually dropped after both guards entered agreements with prosecutors.
Fresh scrutiny has emerged following the Justice Department’s release of additional Epstein-related records this year, which have revived questions about Noel’s conduct and the broader handling of the case.
Among the revelations were records showing Noel received approximately $12,000 in cash deposits between April 2018 and July 2019. Most of the deposits occurred before Epstein’s arrest, and the final deposit came before his death.
Justice Department records also revealed that Noel conducted internet searches the night Epstein died, including “latest on Epstein in jail.”
Despite speculation surrounding the deposits and online activity, FBI investigators reportedly found no evidence that Noel accepted bribes, according to grand jury transcripts released this year.
Noel later told investigators with the DOJ inspector general’s office that she did not specifically remember searching for Epstein online, though she acknowledged she may have looked at news reports involving him.
Questions also persist over surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s cell. A DOJ inspector general report said video appeared to show a corrections officer “believed to be Noel” carrying linen near Epstein’s cell area shortly before his death.
However, in a sworn 2021 interview, Noel denied supplying Epstein with extra linens and insisted she “never gave out linen,” rejecting claims the material may have been used in the alleged suicide.
