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Bondi and Balint back-and-forth over Epstein files
Rep. Becca Balint questioned Attorney General Pam Bondi in an oversight hearing.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have opened an investigation into claims that the Justice Department "appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews" in the Jeffrey Epstein files with a woman "who accused President Trump of heinous crimes."
Here’s the latest:
What’s missing in the Epstein files?
What we know:
According to Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, the missing files are linked to a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by Epstein and Trump when she was a minor.
Portrait of American financier Jeffrey Epstein (left) and real estate developer Donald Trump as they pose together at the Mar-a-Lago estate, Palm Beach, Florida on February 22, 1997. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
The FBI conducted four interviews related to her accusations, then wrote summaries from each one, The New York Times and NPR report. The interview summaries are listed in an index of investigative materials, but only one was released. That interview describes her allegations against Epstein, not Trump. The other three memos are missing.
RELATED: Epstein emails say Trump ‘spent hours’ with one of Epstein’s victims
The woman came forward in 2019, days after Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges. One file released by the Justice Department does include a summary of her accusations. In that memo, she told investigators that Epstein introduced her to Trump in the mid-1980s when she was around 13 years old.
She described a violent, lewd encounter with Trump that ended with him allegedly punching her in the head.
What we don't know:
The memo doesn’t say whether the FBI considered her allegations credible. The Justice Department also has not said why the memos from the woman’s interview weren’t released – or why it’s legal to withhold them.
What they're saying:
"Yesterday, I reviewed unredacted evidence logs at the Department of Justice," Rep. Robert Garcia, a ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said on X. "DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor who accused President Trump of heinous crimes."
"Covering up direct evidence of a potential assault by the President of the United States is the most serious possible crime in this White House cover up," House Oversight Democrats said on X.
Is it illegal?
Why you should care:
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed by Congress and signed by Trump, requires the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents and investigative materials, including files relating to immunity deals and internal communications. The only files that can legally be redacted are those that identify victims, or those that, if made public, would constitute "a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." The government can also redact files that are part of an ongoing investigation.
If the Justice Department withholds case files that don’t meet the criteria for being withheld, it’s a violation of federal law.
The other side:
The Justice Department denied Garcia’s claims:
"NOTHING has been deleted," the Justice Department responded on X. "If files are temporarily pulled for victim redactions or to redact Personally Identifiable Information, then those documents are promptly restored online and are publicly available.
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All Epstein files released, AG Bondi says
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a letter on Saturday that "all" Epstein files have been released consistent with Section 3 of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The letter addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and ranking member Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was obtained by Fox News Digital.
"ALL responsive documents have been produced unless a document falls within one of the following categories: duplicates, privileged, or part of an ongoing federal investigation."
Epstein files latest
By the numbers:
The Justice Department has released more than 3 million files related to Epstein in the past few months.
The backstory:
Epstein, a wealthy financier, was known for socializing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton. Epstein was first accused of sexually abusing underage girls in 2005, but he made a secret deal with the U.S. attorney in Florida to avoid federal charges, enabling him to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.
RELATED: New photos from Epstein's estate show Trump, Bill Clinton and more
In 2019, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging he sexually abused dozens of girls. He killed himself in jail a month after his arrest.
Epstein’s longtime friend and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping recruit some of his underage victims. The Trump administration has struggled to shake the saga because of the president’s close ties to Epstein. Conspiracy theorists and others have suspected government cover-ups and demanded more transparency.
The Source: This report includes information from House Oversight Democrats, The New York Times, NPR, The Associated Press and previous FOX Local reporting.