Attorney General Pam Bondi is pushing back against criticism over her handling of the Justice Department's review into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In February, Bondi was asked on Fox News whether the Department of Justice would release a list of Epstein's clients.
She responded, “It’s sitting on my desk to review. That’s been a directive by President Trump.”
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On Monday, the Department of Justice and the FBI released a joint memo stating the review uncovered no “incriminating client list,” no evidence of blackmail involving prominent individuals, and no grounds to charge any third parties.
Bondi was later pressed about her Fox News comment, given the DOJ’s finding that no such list exists. During a cabinet meeting Tuesday, she clarified that she was referring to general case files on her desk — not an actual client list.
“I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because I was asked a question about the client list, and my response was, ‘It’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed’ — meaning the files, along with the JFK, MLK files as well,” Bondi said. “That’s what I meant by that.”
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Earlier this year, Bondi distributed binders labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” to online influencers — a move that also drew criticism, as much of the material was either already public or heavily redacted.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. Federal officials released enhanced surveillance video on Monday from the special housing unit where Epstein was held, showing no one entering his tier from the time his cell was locked around 10:40 p.m. until the following morning, when his body was discovered.
However, eagle-eyed viewers noticed that about a minute of footage appeared to be missing.
Bondi said the missing minute is part of a nightly system reset.
“So every night, the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing,” Bondi said. “We’re looking for that video to release as well, showing that a minute is missing every night.”
