WASHINGTON — A former federal corrections officer who was on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died in custody is scheduled to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as part of an ongoing congressional investigation.
Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer announced that Tova Noel, one of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) officers assigned to Epstein’s housing unit, will participate in a transcribed interview on March 26, 2026, according to a letter released by the committee.
Noel allegedly Googled Epstein minutes before his body was found, CNBC reports.
Days before the letter was released, Comer discussed the request during an appearance on Fox News, saying lawmakers have “a lot of questions” after recent media reports and Justice Department documents surfaced about Noel’s actions before Epstein’s death.
The chairman pointed to a $5,000 cash deposit flagged in a suspicious activity report, saying the transaction raised questions for investigators, according to Fox News.
Oversight committee reviewing Epstein case
In the March 13 letter to Noel, Comer wrote that the committee is reviewing several aspects of the federal government’s handling of the Epstein case, including the circumstances surrounding the financier’s death in custody.
The review includes:
- Alleged mismanagement of the federal investigation into Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell
- The circumstances and subsequent investigations into Epstein’s death
- The operation of sex-trafficking rings and how the federal government combats them
- Allegations that Epstein and Maxwell sought to influence officials to shield their activities
- Potential ethics violations involving elected officials
The committee wrote that public reporting, Department of Justice documents and materials obtained by investigators indicate Noel may have information relevant to the probe.
“Accordingly, we request your testimony at an in-person transcribed interview on March 26, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET in Washington, D.C.,” the letter states.
🚨 BREAKING: Guard on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died to testify before House Oversight.
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) March 13, 2026
Chairman @RepJamesComer is bringing in Tova Noel, one of the Metropolitan Correctional Center prison guards on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died, for a transcribed interview on March 26, 2026. pic.twitter.com/A0sS0Crrt8
Officer was on duty at MCC when Epstein died
Epstein died in August 2019 while housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, a federal jail that has since closed. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging.
Noel and another correctional officer assigned to the unit were responsible for supervising the housing area that night.
Their actions during the shift, including required security checks, became a focus of investigations after Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell.
