Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing scrutiny after a memo from the Department of Justice (DOJ) said there was no evidence that the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a “client list” or was murdered.
The memo, first reported by Axios, said investigators found “no incriminating ‘client list'” and “no credible evidence … that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.”
It also said video footage from the Manhattan jail where Epstein was being held when he died supported a medical examiner’s finding that he had died by suicide.
Newsweek contacted the DOJ for comment via a contact form on its website outside regular business hours.
The Context
Rumors about Epstein’s alleged client list have spiraled since the disgraced financier died while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019, with some believing it would implicate high-profile names in sex crimes.
In a since-deleted social media post, billionaire Elon Musk said without evidence during his acrimonious fallout with President Donald Trump last month that the Epstein files had not been released because Trump was featured in them. The president has dismissed the claim, saying he “had nothing to do with it.”
What To Know
According to the memo, no further charges are expected in connection with the review.
“We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” the memo said.
It also said the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s review of records found that much of it was “subject to court-ordered sealing” and that only a fraction “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial, as the seal served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third-parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing.”
“Through this review, we found no basis to revisit the disclosure of those materials and will not permit the release of child pornography,” the memo continued.
Explaining the decision not to release further records, the memo said one of the government’s “highest priorities is combating child exploitation and bringing justice to victims.”
It added, “Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.”
The details in the memo have prompted questions, including from Trump supporters, about Bondi’s past comments about Epstein’s alleged client list.
In February, Bondi said on Fox News that an alleged client list was sitting on her desk and would soon be released. The Justice Department then distributed binders marked “declassified” to far-right influencers at the White House, but it quickly became clear that much of the information had long been in the public domain.
That debacle angered conservatives and failed to tamp down conspiracy theories around Epstein’s case. Later, Bondi said she had been made aware of the existence of thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents, adding that she had ordered the FBI to provide the “full and complete Epstein files,” including any videos.
She said in May that the FBI was reviewing “tens of thousands of videos” of Epstein “with children or child porn.” Bondi’s comments and the delay in releasing the next batch of documents have tapped into suspicions that damaging details about Epstein or other prominent figures remain hidden.
The Associated Press reported on July 1 that it had spoken with lawyers and law enforcement officials in the criminal cases of Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted on sex trafficking charges after helping Epstein abuse underage girls. The officials said they hadn’t seen and didn’t know of a trove of recordings like what Bondi described.
What People Are Saying
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk to review for release to the public just a few months ago. Now the DOJ she leads claims that there’s no Epstein client list. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers.”
The anonymous X account @catturd2 told its 3.7 million followers: “So all the girls who have testified about being raped on Epstein’s island were lying and Giselle Maxwell is in prison for being the madam for nobody? Please tell this is fake news.”
Savanah Hernandez, a Turning Point USA contributor, wrote on X: “Why did Pam Bondi get in front of the entire nation and say she had the Epstein client list on her desk? She should step down as Attorney General for lying to the American public.”
The Republicans Against Trump account wrote on X: “Attorney General Pam Bondi In February: Jeffrey Epstein’s client list is sitting on my desk right now to review. Today, Axios reports the DOJ concluded Epstein didn’t keep a client list. So…was she reviewing imaginary files?”
President Donald Trump, commenting on Elon Musk’s claim, told NBC News in June: “That’s called ‘old news.’ That’s been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It’s old news.”
What Happens Next
The memo said that “no further disclosure” of records related to Epstein would be “appropriate or warranted.”
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
Read the full article here
