Furor over Epstein files sparks clash between Bondi and Bongino at the
Justice Department
[July 12, 2025]
By ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to
contain the fallout and appease the demands of far-right conservative
personalities and influential members of President Donald Trump’s base
after the administration's decision this week to withhold records from
the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation.
The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular
sought-after document never existed in the first place, sparked a
contentious conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI
Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House earlier this week that
threatened to permanently shatter relations between the two officials
and centered in part on a news story that described divisions between
the FBI and the Justice Department.
The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to
disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation
underscores the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to
resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they
themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence.
Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the
secrets of the so-called “deep state,” Trump supporters on the far right
have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.
Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice
Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had
concluded that Epstein did not possess a “client list,” even though
Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her
desk, and had decided against releasing any additional records from the
investigation.
The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed
himself in jail, but even that raised the eyebrows of conspiracy
theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.
It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have
failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence that supporters
had come to expect.
In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House
and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and
“Declassified." But the binders contained information that had largely
already been in the public domain.
Afterward, Bondi said an FBI “source” informed her of the existence of
thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents and ordered the
bureau to provide the “full and complete Epstein files.” She later said
officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence
she said had been handed over by the FBI.
But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s
possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no
“further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department
noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to
protect victims, and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired
publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”
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Attorney General Pam Bondi, left, listens as President Donald Trump,
right, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Tuesday,
July 8, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The Trump administration had hoped that that statement would be the
final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked
Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
But Bondi and Bongino had a tense exchange the following day at the
White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who
spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
Part of the clash centered on a story from the news organization
NewsNation that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying
the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could
have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi,
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel
refuting the premise, but not Bongino.
The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.
Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post
in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the
Epstein matter and the joint memo.
“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the
conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there
was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s
composition and release is patently false,” he wrote on X.
Also Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump,
posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking
about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his
future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but
has been silent since Wednesday.
The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment, and the White
House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.
“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced
law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding
criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” said
spokesman Harrison Fields. “This work is being carried out
seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this
team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in
restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”
___
Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed
to this report.
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