House Oversight Committee Seeks Testimony From Epstein Prison Guard on Duty During 2019 Jail Death
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer has subpoenaed former Metropolitan Correctional Center corrections officer Tova Noel for an in-person, transcribed interview on March 26, 2026, in Washington; Noel was one of two guards on duty when Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019, a death the New York City medical examiner ruled a suicide. Noel and fellow guard Michael Thomas were fired and had federal falsified-records charges dropped in 2021 after plea deals; DOJ records indicate Noel searched online about Epstein minutes before his death, though she later told investigators she did not remember doing so, and the committee says the request is part of its broader Epstein/Maxwell probe that has included depositions of the Clintons, Les Wexner and accountant Richard Kahn.
📌 Key Facts
- House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent a formal letter to former MCC corrections officer Tova Noel requesting an in-person, transcribed interview on March 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET in Washington, D.C.
- Noel was one of the two prison guards on duty when Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell on Aug. 10, 2019; the New York City medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
- DOJ documents say Noel searched online for information about Epstein minutes before he was discovered dead; in a 2021 sworn statement to DOJ she reportedly said, "I don't remember doing that."
- Federal criminal charges against Noel and fellow officer Michael Thomas, alleging they falsified records related to that shift, were dropped in 2021 after they reached deals with prosecutors; both were fired.
- The GOP-led Oversight Committee frames Noel’s testimony as part of a broader Epstein/Maxwell probe that has already included depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner, and Epstein accountant Richard Kahn.
📊 Relevant Data
The Epstein Victims' Compensation Program awarded nearly $125 million to approximately 150 eligible claimants by August 2021.
Epstein estate agrees to $35 million settlement with victims — Courthouse News
Children account for about half of human trafficking victims in the US, with the average age of entry into sex trafficking being 12 years old.
Human Trafficking Fact Sheet — Office of the Attorney General, District of Columbia
Sex trafficking victims in the US often include vulnerable populations such as runaway youth, homeless individuals, and those in foster care, with men and boys (including LGBTQ individuals) also victimized alongside women and girls.
Myths, Facts, and Statistics — Polaris Project
The Department of Justice did not release certain FBI memos related to Jane Doe 4's accusations against Trump and Epstein when uploading millions of pages of Epstein files beginning in December 2025.
DOJ removed, withheld Epstein files related to accusations against Trump, NPR investigation finds — NPR
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer sent a formal letter to former MCC corrections officer Tova Noel requesting an in-person, transcribed interview on March 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET in Washington, D.C.
- Noel was one of the two prison guards on duty when Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell on Aug. 10, 2019; the New York City medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
- Federal criminal charges against Noel and fellow officer Michael Thomas for falsifying records related to that shift were dropped in 2021 after they reached deals with prosecutors, and both were fired.
- DOJ documents state that Noel searched online for information about Epstein minutes before he was discovered dead; in a 2021 sworn statement to DOJ she reportedly said, “I don’t remember doing that.”
- The GOP-led Oversight Committee frames Noel’s testimony as part of a broader Epstein/Maxwell probe that has already included depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner, and Epstein accountant Richard Kahn.