The “Epstein Class” Investigates Itself
The investment portfolio of the interim US Attorney for the Southern District of New York shows financial stakes in Epstein-associated financial institutions and Venezuelan oil interests. The Trump appointee stands to win big from his own investigations.

What do the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro and the suppression of information on Jeffrey Epstein have in common? Both will benefit the stock portfolio of a Trump-appointed US Attorney, for one thing. (John Lamparski / WireImage via Getty Images)
Jay Clayton, a top federal prosecutor leading investigations into sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, and major Wall Street banks, holds more than $1.6 million in investments in companies with a potential financial stake in those same matters, according to ethics disclosures reviewed by the Lever.
Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Justice Department’s “top-dog” Southern District of New York office, owns stakes in multiple oil and gas companies that stand to benefit from Venezuela’s regime change, as well as in Wall Street banks and financial firms currently under investigation by Congress over their ties to Epstein.
The disclosures show Clayton has more than $1 million in financial holdings in private equity giant Apollo Global Management, where he served as board chairman until his Justice Department appointment.