The House Oversight Committee is set to interview Tova Noel, a former prison guard who was on duty at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in New York the night convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019. Noel is believed to be the last person to have seen Epstein alive before his death, which was officially ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner. However, persistent conspiracy theories have cast doubt on this conclusion, prompting renewed scrutiny.
Details of the Interview
Committee Chairman James Comer stated that some lawmakers are not fully convinced that Epstein's death was a suicide. Noel faces allegations that she was browsing the internet instead of performing required headcounts of inmates in Epstein's unit hours before his death. Along with another guard, she was charged with falsifying records to make it appear as if checks were conducted, but both reached a deal with prosecutors to have the charges dropped.
Cash Deposits and Online Searches
Lawmakers revealed that Noel received cash deposits between April 2018 and July 2019, with most occurring before Epstein's arrest and the last one just before his death. Department of Justice documents show that Noel searched "latest on Epstein in jail" on the night of his death. The FBI examined her bank accounts but found no evidence of a bribe.
Surveillance Video Evidence
Surveillance footage from the jail captured a flash of orange near Epstein's cell that night. A DOJ inspector general report indicated that the video showed an officer believed to be Noel carrying linen to the area. In a 2021 interview, Noel denied providing Epstein with excess linens that could have been used as a noose.
The release of the Epstein files has brought renewed attention to Noel's actions. The committee aims to clarify the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death and address lingering questions.
