Overview

• Sen. Markwayne Mullin repeatedly insisted on an Obama-era plea deal for Jeffrey Epstein despite live corrections from Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union.
• Tapper clarified that the non-prosecution agreement was negotiated in 2008 under Bush-appointed U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta and only unsealed in 2009.
• Mullin admitted he killed a Senate resolution to fully disclose Epstein grand jury documents in order to provide President Trump with political cover.
• Tapper noted that grand jury secrecy rules require a judge’s approval for transcripts but that the Department of Justice and FBI could still release other evidence independently.
• The confrontation underscores broader disputes over historical accountability, real-time media fact-checking and partisan control of high-profile legal archives.