A Florida lawmaker says she received death threats after she asked the governor to launch a state investigation into the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office's handling of Jeffrey Epstein during his prison sentence.
A spokesperson for Sen. Lauren Book (D-Hollywood) also says she received calls to cease and desist her efforts.
The Miami Herald is reporting that Book has reached out to Capitol police in Washington, D.C. about the threats.
"Senator Book is focused on ensuring accountability and transparency in getting to the bottom of how Epstein was able to ENJOY – not SERVE – his time while in PBSO custody," Book's spokesperson said in a statement.
MORE: The Jeffrey Epstein Case
Earlier this week, Book sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis, "formally requesting him to direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to investigate."
Read a portion of Book's letter to DeSantis below.
"The allegations related to serial sex predator Jeffrey Epstein assaulting young girls while serving on work release under the jurisdiction of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office are alarming. If true, this shows yet another breakdown of the system's dealing with this pedophilic abuser. We are calling for accountability on all fronts, and to that end, I am formally requesting you to direct the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate this matter."Between 2008 and 2009, Epstein, who was a convicted sex offender after pleading guilty to solicitation of a minor, was allowed to leave his cell in the Palm Beach County Jail six days a week for 12 hours a day.
According to an investigation by Scripps station WPTV, Epstein was picked up by his private driver — sometimes in a limo — and transported to his office in West Palm Beach while he was on work release following a guilty plea for solicitation of a minor. The sheriff's office said a deputy was not with him during that transport.
Deputy logs show that Epstein was taken to his home by deputies at least nine times. During that time, he was left in his home unsupervised for up to three hours — despite the fact that agency rules stated Epstein "is not to leave his designated workplace for any reason, with the exception of returning to the PBSO stockade, or for emergency medical treatment."
Last week, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw announced he was launching his own internal investigation into the deputies assigned to Epstein's work release to make sure no internal policies were broken.
Bradshaw is the one who approved and oversaw the work release from 2008 to 2009.
According to the Miami Herald, "the Palm Beach Sheriff's Office said it had no knowledge of anyone trying to pressure or threaten Book."
Epstein, who pleaded not guilty to new federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges filed earlier this month, was denied bail at a court hearing in New York.
Prosecutors said Epstein paid underage girls, some as young as 14 years old, hundreds of dollars in cash for massages, then molested them at his homes in Palm Beach and New York between 2002 and 2005.
On Wednesday, a CNN source sats that Epstein was found injured in his New York City jail cell with marks on his neck. There are conflicting reports from sources on just how Epstein may have been injured.
This story was originally published by
WPTV
in West Palm Beach, Florida.
