Topline
The Attorney General says there are more documents related to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to be released—but no timeline or information about the documents has been made public, weeks after the department’s much-hyped release of Epstein-related files was largely considered a dud—raising the prospect a major conspiracy fueling the 2024 election will fizzle out.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she received a “truckload” of new Jeffrey Epstein-related documents, … [+]
Getty ImagesKey Facts
Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News host Sean Hannity last week she received a “truckload” of additional documents from the FBI’s Southern District of New York field office after she accused the office of withholding evidence from the Department of Justice.
Bondi said the DOJ would “go through [the documents] as fast as we can” and claimed they are “going to come out,” though she did not give a timeline, adding she wants a “full report” on why the documents allegedly sat at the FBI’s New York field office.
A reporter asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday about Bondi’s claim she received a “truckload” of documents, questioning when they would be released, with Leavitt saying she does not have a timeline and referred the reporter to the Department of Justice.
Forbes has reached out to the Department of Justice and FBI for comment.
Chief Critics
The prolonged wait for new Epstein documents has prompted criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. The Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats X account posted a thread last week, days after Bondi said she received more Epstein documents, accusing her of “SITTING on the Epstein files” following a “cheap stunt that released no new information.” The Judiciary Democrats also criticized Bondi on Monday after the Justice Department put prosecutor Andrew Rohrbach—who prosecuted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried—on leave. “Not only is Pam Bondi stonewalling the Epstein files’ release… she just punished Ghislaine Maxwell’s prosecutor,” the Judiciary Democrats posted. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who previously slammed the February release of Epstein files as a “complete disappointment,” said Tuesday on X it is “alarming that Congress has gotten almost no communication from the DOJ or updates regarding the matter other than ‘reviewing documents.’”
How Musk And Trump Helped Fuel A Right-Wing Epstein Conspiracy
The Justice Department’s release of Epstein documents had long been talked up by politicians and right-wing influencers, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 election. While campaigning for the presidency in 2024, President Donald Trump told podcaster Lex Fridman he would be “inclined” to release Epstein-related documents after Fridman pressed him. Trump told Fridman he had “never been to his island, fortunately,” though Trump was named in flight logs as having flown on Epstein’s private jets at least seven times in the 1990s, though has never been linked to Epstein’s crimes. Elon Musk, billionaire and DOGE chief, posted about Epstein’s so-called “client list” in July 2024, stating: “Either FBI does their duty or the case for an entire departmental reset or abolishment is strong.” In an interview with Tucker Carlson in October 2024, Musk said, “if Trump wins, that Epstein client list is going to become public,” accusing various billionaires of supporting former Vice President Kamala Harris’s candidacy because they are “terrified” of being named in documents (though Harris did not comment on whether or not she’d work to release Epstein-related files). During FBI Director Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing in January, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., asked if Patel would “work with me on this issue so we know who worked with Jeffrey Epstein in building these sex trafficking rings,” to which Patel said he “absolutely” would. In January 2024, Bondi said on Fox News Epstein documents should have “come out a long time ago,” stating people who may be implicated in any Epstein-related files have “no legal basis” to keep their names private. Several popular right-wing X accounts, including Libs of TikTok and End Wokeness, have frequently tweeted about Epstein both before and after the election to their collective 8 million followers.
Is There Actually An Epstein Client List?
There is no evidence that a so-called “client list” kept by Epstein exists, despite rumors of one persisting online for years. Those who believe in its existence appear to believe it may hold the names of celebrities, wealthy individuals and members of the political elite that may have been involved with, or known about, Epstein’s crimes. But experts on Epstein have repeatedly cast doubt on the existence of a client list, including Julie K. Brown, the Pulitzer-winning reporter for The Miami Herald, who exposed the legal efforts to keep Epstein out of jail. Brown told Rolling Stone last week there is “no such thing” as far as she knows, based on her review of civil lawsuits and discussions with victims and other sources. “Basically, his telephone directory and flight logs somehow got molded or misconstrued into this idea that there’s some kind of a client list,” Brown said. Brown has previously called the alleged “client list” a “figment of the internet’s imagination” and a “means to just slander people.”
What Happened With The First Epstein Document Release?
The release of Epstein-related documents in late February was considered a failure as most of the information revealed had already been leaked, sparking accusations that the release was a political stunt. The Justice Department gave large binders to several right-wing influencers at the White House, which read, “The Epstein Files: Phase I,” which also sparked some criticism. The bungled release led to finger-pointing, as Bondi sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel demanding the agency send Epstein-related documents she says the FBI withheld from the Justice Department. Without naming Bondi or the Epstein controversy, Patel posted on X the FBI had entered a “new era” in which there would be “no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned.”
Key Background
Epstein was indicted in federal court in 2019 for sex trafficking and was accused of abusing underage girls. He has long been the subject of internet conspiracy theories, including that he did not commit suicide in jail and instead was killed, though there is no evidence to support this idea. Epstein has been linked to a long list of various powerful people, including former President Bill Clinton, who appeared on flight logs but has denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes, and Prince Andrew, who was accused of sexual assault by an alleged Epstein victim and later settled a case with her in court.
Further Reading
Epstein Files Land No New Revelations—Despite Big Promises Throughout Campaign (Forbes)
Attorney General Pam Bondi Accuses FBI Of Withholding Jeffrey Epstein Files—What To Know (Forbes)
First Epstein Names Unsealed: Here Are The Biggest Takeaways (Forbes)
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