The guard's finances were reviewed, and most federal guards, and law enforcement are subject to internal affairs audits at any time, for any reason. If the guards were paid off we'd know
Well, not really. You assume we would know, but without access to the alleged audits neither of us has any idea. I know a few people have tried to look into their private lives and have been unsuccessful getting details. I would agree that it would require a conspiracy to keep any significant pay off hidden, and there is no real evidence of that conspiracy, but that does not mean it does not exist. Hiding money is not that difficult, even someone like the POTUS can successfully do that despite all eyes of the world being on him.
It is also an assumption that it had to be a big monetary payoff, when it really didn't have to be that. There are non-monetary ways of bribing someone, and there are also ways to blackmail someone that would not be recorded. And sure, that is highly speculative, but so is the idea that "we would know" if they were paid off. All we *really* know is that two guards falsified records so that they were supposedly checking on Epstein every 30 minutes when in fact he was not checked on for 8 hours.
And it may be glib, but the mythology of the Federal Government's ruthless efficiency has been a two-centuries old paper tiger. If 75% of technology and equipment is working at any US Government facility on any given day it classifies as a miracle. And this spans everyone from the IRS, FBI, and DoD, to Fish & Game, and Department of Agriculture. The system is the system, and important things you'd think would get priority for repair or upgrade are on a very long list.
I agree with you there! I have worked in governmental jobs most of my life, (IRS, DOC, NOAA, public defenders office etc) and that is a fair assessment. However..and this is a big 'However', that is a general observation and it overlooks the facts of this specific case, which I addressed in my previous comment. Epstein was a *big* deal to this correctional facility. Everyone who worked there knew all eyes were on them. I know from experience that all that inefficiency is suddenly spotlighted on occasions like that one. That is why a sign saying "IT IS MANDATORY" that Epstein be guarded at all times was posted outside his cell at the time of his death. They would have pulled no punches in ensuring that he was watched like a hawk. So why wasn't he? Security cameras could have easily been checked, so why did not one but two inconveniently fail at the wrong time? Why was Epstein left unattended for 8 hours? Why was he alone in a cell when it was *mandated* that he have a cellmate? Why did not one but two guards fail to follow what they knew were monumentally important requirements? Any one of these questions could be perhaps shrugged off, it is when they add up that it becomes suspicious. Not conclusive of a conspiracy of course, but also not worthy of being dsimissed as just the usual inefficiency.
As for Epstein being adverse to dying, he obviously thought it was the better option.
You are making the assumption that it was a suicide. I'd say that is a reasonable assumption--honestly if I had to put money on one or the other I'd bet on suicide being more likely. But I disagree it was obvious. At least a couple Drs who interviewed him were convinced he was not suicidal. His family definitely believed he was not. He had gotten a sweetheart deal with his last conviction, and probably could have used his inside knowledge to obtain some sort of favorable treatment with the new case. Really the only evidence that points at him being suicidal is the circumstantial evidence that he signed a new will shortly before his death. But there is nothing obvious about the conclusion that he killed himself. Look at how different forensic experts view the autopsy--some say it clearly shows sucide, some say just as adamantly that it supports homicide.
Not obvious to me certainly. I do find it somewhat suspicious that he managed to hang himself with a piece of cloth hanging a mere 4 feet from the floor, seems like a pretty inefficient way to hang yourself but I aint an expert on the forensics...
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