The House Oversight Committee has requested a transcribed interview with Tova Noel, one of the correctional officers on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died in federal custody in 2019. Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., announced the move Friday, scheduling the session for March 26, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET as part of the panel's ongoing probe into Epstein's death.

Epstein, the financier facing federal sex-trafficking charges, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. Noel and fellow guard Michael Thomas were supposed to conduct 30-minute checks on high-profile inmates like Epstein but failed to do so, instead browsing the internet and shopping online, according to federal prosecutors at the time. The pair faced charges for falsifying records to cover the lapses, but the case ended in a deferred prosecution agreement in 2022, and charges were dropped.

Newly released documents from Epstein's estate, including FBI reports and DOJ records, have reignited questions. The committee obtained 20,000 additional pages in November 2025. Among the findings, Noel conducted Google searches for "latest on Epstein in jail" at 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. on the morning of his death, less than 40 minutes before his body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. In a 2021 sworn statement to the DOJ, she denied remembering the searches, calling FBI records inaccurate.

Bank records flagged by Chase in a November 2019 suspicious activity report added to the scrutiny. They showed 12 cash deposits into Noel's account starting in April 2018, including a $5,000 deposit on July 30, 2019, and seven deposits totaling $11,880 in late 2018. She was also making payments on a new Range Rover. Comer described these as "very concerning," noting the DOJ never questioned Noel about them despite the flags.

An FBI timeline indicated Noel may have been the last staff member to interact with Epstein, delivering linen or clothing around 10:40 p.m. the previous night, though she later denied it. Blurry surveillance footage captured a "mysterious orange shape" near his cell at that time, possibly her. Cameras at the facility malfunctioned that night, and Epstein had been removed from suicide watch weeks earlier.

Comer told Fox News the committee harbors doubts about the suicide ruling and wants answers on potential "mysterious factors." No subpoena has been issued to Noel, who was fired after the incident. The probe follows the Epstein Files Transparency Act and includes interviews with other figures. Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate, told the DOJ she believes he was murdered.