Trump quietly briefed that his name appears in Epstein files: Report
Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informed US President Donald Trump in May that his name appears multiple times in the US government’s sealed records on dead convicted sex offender Jefferey Epstein.
According to a Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday, officials told Trump that the material includes sensitive information, such as child pornography and personal data of victims, prompting a decision not to release further records to the public.
Trump was told of the DOJ’s intent to withhold the files at the time. According to the Journal, he expressed willingness to defer to the department’s judgment. Public acknowledgment of this decision came only in July, sparking frustration among some of Trump’s supporters who had previously been led to expect transparency.
In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine, “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy … He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.” He later distanced himself from Epstein, calling him “creepy.”
Epstein, a wealthy New York socialite, died in prison in 2019 after confessing to his crimes. Some reports link his sex-trafficking network to Israel’s Mossad. His death was ruled a suicide, but the circumstances have remained controversial.
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Responding to the Journal report, Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) called for Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to testify about this now,” Schiff said in a video posted on X.
Meanwhile, a key House subcommittee voted Wednesday to subpoena the Justice Department over the Epstein files. The motion, introduced by Representative Summer Lee (D-PA), aims to pressure Republicans to clarify their stance on whether the documents should be released.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the Journal‘s report. However, in a joint statement, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the files were reviewed thoroughly and that “nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.”
On July 15, when asked by ABC News whether Bondi had told him specifically that his name appeared in the files, Trump said, “No, no, she’s — she’s given us just a very quick briefing,” before suggesting, without evidence, that the records were fabricated by political adversaries.
