Attorney General Pam Bondi is pressing the FBI to release the full set of Jeffrey Epstein’s investigative files after Thursday’s much-anticipated document dump failed to deliver major new revelations.
Bondi, working with the FBI under Director Kash Patel, released over 100 pages of declassified records related to Epstein’s network of associates and alleged co-conspirators. However, much of the material, including Epstein’s infamous contacts book, had already been made public through past litigation and discovery files.
“This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency,” Bondi said in a statement. “The first phase of files released today sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”
Bondi has now requested the remaining Epstein documents, instructing the FBI to deliver them by 8 a.m. EST on Feb. 28. It remains unclear whether the Department of Justice’s future releases will contain fresh information.
The FBI has acknowledged that thousands of pages related to Epstein remain undisclosed. Patel vowed before his recent confirmation that there would be “no cover-ups” and promised that “if records have been hidden, we will uncover them.”
While the DOJ’s release confirmed the presence of high-profile names in Epstein’s contact list — including Mick Jagger, Alec Baldwin, Naomi Campbell, and Ethel Kennedy — many of these names have been publicly known for years. The documents clarify that the list is not a “client list,” but rather a contact directory belonging to the disgraced financier.
The records also include flight logs from Epstein’s “Lolita Express” private jet, but these, too, had previously been published with redactions. The DOJ fully redacted a 254-entry masseuse list, further fueling public frustration over the perceived lack of new disclosures.
The effort to release more Epstein-related documents was met with mixed reviews on Thursday, with critics chastising the White House’s decision to stage an exclusive gathering of social media influencers, who were the first to receive thick binders with the files.
Additionally, many of these influencers subsequently did not make any social media posts showing the public anything inside of the binders. One influencer in the group, Savanah Hernandez, seemed to indicate that they were under a release embargo.
DOJ, PLEDGING FULL TRANSPARENCY ON EPSTEIN FILES, RELEASES THEM TO INFLUENCERS FIRST
Adding to the confusion, Bondi’s press release described the documents as “previously leaked,” despite the fact that much of the information had been made public through litigation.
For now, the effort to push transparency about the life of Epstein by the Trump administration leaves more questions than answers. Bondi accused the FBI earlier on Thursday of withholding thousands of pages of documents related to Epstein despite her request that the bureau hand them over.