JD Vance hosted a secretive meeting about the Jeffrey Epstein scandal with the attorney general and FBI director, according to reports.

The meeting had initially been scheduled to take place at the vice-president’s residence, but was moved to the White House amid fervid media interest, CNN reported.

Mr Vance, Pam Bondi and Kash Patel are said to have discussed how to respond to the Epstein scandal during the talks on Wednesday.

Mr Vance and his office had strenuously denied that a meeting to discuss the Epstein case was taking place but the new report insisted the meeting went ahead.

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, and Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, were also supposed to take part in the original meeting scheduled to take place at Mr Vance’s residence.

The administration’s handling of the so-called Epstein files, and the need for a unified response, was expected to be the main focus of the White House meeting.

It was also an opportunity for Ms Bondi and Mr Patel to smooth things over after they allegedly clashed over the handling of the case.

The Trump administration’s refusal to release government files on the paedophile financier has sparked the biggest crisis of Mr Trump’s second term.

Several Maga loyalists condemned the decision not to publish the documents.

The meeting took place weeks after Mr Blanche interviewed Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghilsaine Maxwell in jail over two days.

Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year-sentence for sex trafficking girls to Epstein, was said to have been questioned about the relationships between the paedophile and his wealthy associates.