A prison guard who worked the night Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody has been asked to testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
This is part of Congress’ review of Epstein’s case and how the government managed investigations related to him. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., invited former Metropolitan Correctional Center guard Tova Noel for an in-person interview on March 26 in Washington.
In a March 13 letter to Noel, Comer mentioned that the committee is looking into several issues related to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. These include the details of Epstein’s death, the federal response to sex trafficking, and possible ethical violations by elected officials. The letter indicates that the committee thinks Noel may know something that could help their investigation.
The committee has already interviewed several notable individuals as part of its review. This includes former Attorney General Bill Barr, former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Maxwell, Les Wexner, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Richard Kahn. They are also set to question Epstein estate co-executor Darren Indyke on March 19.
‼️🇺🇸: US HOUSE OVERSIGHT IS QUESTIONING EPSTEIN ‘SUIC1DE’ GUARD 👀
US Rep James Comer is bringing Tova Noel in for questioning after the Epstein files revealed she googled Epstein just minutes before he was found d3ad.
Noel also had suspicious bank transactions weeks before. pic.twitter.com/JEWfv6DpPF
— Diligent Denizen 🇺🇸 (@DiligentDenizen) March 13, 2026
Epstein died on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in New York. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. A report from the Justice Department inspector general in 2023 stated that the FBI found no criminal activity in connection with Epstein’s death. However, the report did document several failures by Bureau of Prisons staff leading up to that event.
Noel and another guard on duty that night, Michael Thomas, were accused of sleeping and browsing the internet instead of conducting required checks every 30 minutes. Federal prosecutors later charged both guards with falsifying records to make it seem like they had completed the required rounds. Reuters reported that the case was dismissed in January 2022 after both guards fulfilled deferred prosecution agreements.
The inspector general’s report stated Epstein was found hanged in his cell in the Special Housing Unit and was pronounced dead at a hospital at 7:36 a.m. It also noted that prison staff could not retrieve video from one of the jail’s recording systems. A forensic analysis later identified serious disk failures, which left no recordings available from that system after July 29, 2019.
NEW: A prison guard for Jeffrey Epstein Googled him just minutes before he was found deceased and made a “mysterious” $5,000 cash deposit 10 days before Epstein’s death, according to the New York Post.
Tova Noel was previously accused of falsifying records. Her charges were… pic.twitter.com/wNQ8lyZE3k
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 7, 2026
The report also indicated that prison staff made “numerous and serious failures” in their care and supervision of Epstein. Reuters mentioned that Noel and Thomas faced charges for falsifying prison logs, and the inspector general highlighted a series of negligence and misconduct inside the facility before Epstein’s death.
This renewed congressional effort comes after the House Oversight Committee expanded its Epstein investigation in recent months. Comer’s office stated that the panel is reviewing not only Epstein’s jail death in 2019 but also how the federal government handled his crimes and Maxwell’s case. The committee has not disclosed whether Noel will appear voluntarily or if they might take further steps if she refuses.
