U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi attends a oversight proceeding of Senate Judiciary Committee connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, D.C., U.S., October 7, 2025.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
Attorney General Pam Bondi connected Tuesday stonewalled a question astatine a Senate Judiciary Committee astir who ordered FBI agents to emblem immoderate documents that mentioned President Donald Trump during a reappraisal this twelvemonth of investigative files astir the precocious enactment predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Sen. Dick Durbin, successful a missive successful July, mentioned that purported bid to FBI agents arsenic helium asked the Justice Department astir past promises to merchandise the Epstein files and a consequent determination by Bondi not to bash so.
"So, who gave the bid to emblem records related to President Trump?" Durbin, D-Ill., asked Bondi astatine Tuesday's Judiciary Committee hearing.
"To emblem records which included his name?" Durbin asked.
Boni bristled arsenic she answered, "I'm not going to sermon thing astir that with you, senator."
Durbin replied, "Eventually you're going to person to reply for your behaviour successful this, you won't bash it today, but yet you will."
Durbin, successful his missive to the Justice Department, said that successful March, hundreds of unit successful the New York tract bureau of the FBI were assigned to reappraisal files related to Epstein.
In that letter, Durbin cited a punctuation by Trump successful 2002 astir Epstein, which was published successful New York magazine.
"Mr. Trump said of Mr. Epstein, 'I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy, He's a batch of amusive to beryllium with. It is adjacent said that helium likes beauteous women arsenic overmuch arsenic I do, and galore of them are connected the younger side,' " Durbin wrote.
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Durbin connected Tuesday besides asked Bondi why, successful February, she had said that the alleged Epstein lawsuit database was sitting connected her table for her to review, erstwhile she yet said she would not merchandise the Epstein files.
"I said I had not yet reviewed it, and if you spot our memo connected Epstein, you volition spot our memo connected Epstein intelligibly points retired that determination was nary lawsuit list," Bondi replied.
That associated Justice Department and FBI memo was released connected July 7, months aft the reappraisal of Epstein record documents.
It concluded that determination was nary Epstein lawsuit list, and supported the long-standing authoritative uncovering that Epstein died by suicide successful a federal jailhouse successful Manhattan successful 2019, weeks aft being arrested connected child enactment trafficking charges.
The Trump administration, for months, has faced criticism, including by immoderate Republican allies successful Congress, for its reneging connected promises by Bondi and FBI officials to merchandise the Epstein files.
Some supporters of Trump person refused to judge determination was nary Epstein lawsuit list, which they fishy was a database of almighty oregon affluent men who had intersexual interaction with girls and young women nether his control, making those men susceptible to blackmail oregon different pressure.
Trump had been friends with Epstein and his subordinate Ghislaine Maxwell for years earlier the 2 men fell retired successful the mid-2000s.
Maxwell was convicted successful 2022 astatine a national proceedings successful New York of charges related to procuring and grooming underage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse. She was sentenced to 20 years successful prison.
On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to perceive Maxwell's entreaty of that conviction.
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