Questions Arise As Attorney General Accuses FBI Of Withholding Epstein Files
on Feb 28, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi Announces The Release Of Documents Related To Jeffrey Epstein
Americans have been calling for the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein since the explosive case broke in 2019.
Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is believed to have perpetrated sexual crimes against women, including minors, for decades. His case and that of his now-convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell have been some of the most scrutinized and publicized of this generation.
In 2008, Epstein was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. He received a rather lenient sentencing of 13 months and was often allowed to leave prison for work during that time.
In July 2019, he was arrested on charges of sex trafficking minors in both Florida and New York. The 66-year-old died by suicide behind bars just 36 days later before he could be tried in court.
Key details of the high-profile case have been kept under wraps, and many suspect this is due to possible bombshell information about the alleged prominent figures who were associated with Epstein.
On the evening of February 26th, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that files related to the case, including flight logs and known contacts, would be released the next day. She promised “a lot of information.”
Phase 1 Of Epstein Files Released
On February 27th, the Department of Justice made phase 1 of the Jeffrey Epstein files available to the public. According to the DOJ:
“The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.”
The 224-page file was compiled mainly of flight logs, an extensive list of physical items obtained as evidence in the case, and a “masseuse list” believed to refer to Epstein’s victims. The names in this list were redacted to protect the victims’ security and privacy.
Additionally, a 95-page heavily redacted copy of Maxwell’s “Contact Book” was released. It is important to note that this book was not a client list but rather a record of contact information for Epstein’s high-profile associates. These names are not currently suspected of any wrongdoing.
The “Contact Book” included journalists, politicians, and well-known celebrities. View the names here.
Citizens Outraged At The Lack Of New Information
While the files did contain the information Bondi promised, many quickly noticed that they primarily contained details already known to the public. The flight logs released had been previously submitted as evidence in the lawsuit against Maxwell in 2021.
The list of Epstein’s known clients remains concealed.
Many felt that the grandeur of Bondi’s announcement did not match the caliber of information actually made public. Some called it an act of “political theater.”
Various Congress members took to social media to express their disappointment with the limited information shared. Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida urged to “GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR.”
I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein's phonebook.
THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment.
GET US THE…
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 27, 2025
AG Bondi Accuses FBI Of Withholding Epstein Files
Following the release of the files and subsequent backlash, Attorney General Bondi sent a letter to Kash Patel, the recently appointed Head of the FBI. In it, she asserted that she had repeatedly questioned the FBI and was assured that she would receive the full set of documents. She writes:
“Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.”
This number, of course, is far higher than the roughly 200 pages that were released, raising suspicion that documents were withheld.
Bondi demands that the FBI deliver to her the complete Epstein files, including “all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.”
Read the letter from Attorney General Bondi to Kash Patel and the FBI below.
