President Donald Trump this week addressed an unexpected question from a reporter about whether he intends to release more information on Jeffrey Epstein.
His remarks came just days before Virginia Giuffre, one of the first and most prominent survivors of Epstein’s abuse to speak out, died by suicide.
Epstein, a sex offender accused of orchestrating a massive child sex trafficking ring with his associates, died by suicide in 2019 while in custody on federal sex trafficking charges. He was associated with dozens of celebrities and powerful politicians, bringing international interest to the case.
Much of this interest centered around redacted court documents naming alleged associates and victims known as the “Epstein files.” Attorney General Pam Bondi moved to release some of these documents in February in what she labeled the “first phase” of declassified files — but much of the information was already public.
Trump, when asked by a reporter on April 22 when the public could expect to see the release of more documents, said he would speak to Bondi.
“I don’t know, I’ll speak to the attorney general about that, I really don’t know,” Trump said.
On January 23, Trump signed an executive order directing the declassification of records surrounding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I do know that we’ve done the RFK, the Kennedy, Martin Luther King is out there very shortly, so we’ll find out,” Trump added. “We’ve really announced we’re doing them in full transparency.”
What did Attorney General Bondi release in ‘phase one’ of the Epstein files?
Bondi moved to declassify several documents from Epstein’s criminal prosecution, many of which were already published.
The files previously published pilot logs related to the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. The files also included redactions from prosecutors to protect victims. Bondi also published Epstein’s “little black book,” containing names of his alleged associates. However, that too was already published.
One never-before-seen document was an “Evidence List,” a catalogue of evidence obtained by investigators.
Items included a “LSJ logbook,” believed to refer to his private island Little St. James, and a CD labelled “girl pics nude book 4.”
Several big names had already been linked to Epstein through previously released documents, including Trump, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger.
Bondi had invited several prominent right-wing influencers to the White House — including “Libs of TikTok” owner Chaya Raichik and Republican activist Scott Presler — to see the documents the day they were released.
But virtually all of that information was already public, and many Republicans turned to social media to criticize Bondi.
“GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR instead of leaking old info to press,” far-right Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote on social media at the time.
Luna, who chairs a House Republican-led Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, said the Justice Department did not provide her or her committee with the documents.
“1) If the Epstein files are out, where do we find them? (2) What’s the difference between ‘phase 1’ and ‘phase 2’?” asked Republican Senator Mike Lee. “Will the Epstein files tell us whether he killed himself?”
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer raged that “THERE ARE NO EPSTEIN FILES!!!”
What have officials said about the Epstein files?
Bondi said releasing the first-phase documents “sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”
“This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” she added.
Following the release of “phase one,” Bondi reportedly pushed the FBI and her own agency to urgently review and declassify more files, according to ABC News. The FBI enlisted thousands of agents to help with the effort, the outlet reports.
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to declassify documents in several high-profile cases during his second term.
This includes the release of 2,200 files related to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy, which critics blasted as “just another nothing burger” that revealed little new information.
Trump also promised to release sealed files about the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
