Barr Appoints New Bureau Of Prisons Leadership As DOJ Probes Epstein’s Death

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: U.S. Attorney General William Barr pauses while speaking at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University School of Law on July 23, 2019 in New York City. In his remarks... NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: U.S. Attorney General William Barr pauses while speaking at the International Conference on Cyber Security at Fordham University School of Law on July 23, 2019 in New York City. In his remarks, Barr stated that increased encryption of data on phones and encrypted messaging apps puts American security at risk. Barr encouraged technology companies to provide law enforcement with access to encrypted data during certain criminal investigations. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Attorney General Bill Barr appointed two new officials to lead the Federal Bureau of Prisons following the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died of apparent suicide while in federal custody.

Kathleen Hawk Sawyer was appointed to be the director of the bureau and Thomas Kane as the deputy, the Department of Justice announced in a statement on Monday.

“I am pleased to welcome back Dr. Hawk Sawyer as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Under Dr. Hawk Sawyer’s previous tenure at the Bureau, she led the agency with excellence, innovation, and efficiency, receiving numerous awards for her outstanding leadership,” Barr said in the statement.

The new leadership team will replace Hugh Hurwitz, who was serving as the acting head of the bureau for the past year. In the statement, Barr thanked Hurwitz for his service and said he would be returning his previous position as assistant director of the bureau’s reentry services division.

It is unclear if the leadership change is part of a broader shakeup by the Justice Department to handle the fallout of the Epstein’s death. Barr did not mention the Epstein case in the release.

However, Barr has already ordered staff changes in response to the apparent suicide. The warden of the Metropolitan Correctional Center was reassigned and the two guards who were supposed to be checking on Epstein were placed on leave. Barr has  made it clear that he is “angry” that the billionaire financier was left unsupervised long enough to apparently hang himself in his jail cell and has ordered an FBI probe into the death.

The New York City Chief Medical Examiner determined last week that Epstein died as a result of suicidal hanging.

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Notable Replies

  1. Fall guys.

    The prior leadership must have been too progressive and honest, and taken too dim a view of white-collar crime.

  2. Crooked appoints Crooked
    To investigate Crooked

    For Crooked.

    Remember: Top-Down Crooked is difficult to stop. Only OUTSIDE action can make a dent. Individual Profiles in Courage working on the inside have a chance but only if OUTSIDE actors listen.

  3. The coverups continue…

  4. Avatar for ajm ajm says:

    This would look a lot more sincere if it had occurred after Epstein’s first suicide attempt.

  5. “If we’re going to off people in prison, we need reliable leadership at the top … who won’t make a mess of things and create suspicion.”

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