The Trump administration is scrambling to make the self-inflicted fiasco that is the Epstein files go away.
This week, the latest twist arrived when Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche admitted to judges that the government has no plans to seek the public release of anything from the grand jury related to Epstein and his associate, convicted sex trafficker Ghislane Maxwell, but the transcripts.
Even as the administration is attempting to make a public show of transparency, Bondi and Blanche have admitted that they have no desire to see grand jury exhibits released. Exhibits could include pictures, video, text messages, emails or other communications, interview notes, memos and more — all of which would be eligible for redaction if they contained sensitive or explicit material. And all of which would be far, far more informative than simple transcripts.
The problem started in July, when Bondi denied the existence of Jeffrey Epstein’s so-called “client list” and announced nothing else would come from the Justice Department’s bid to declassify or release files tied to the late sex offender. The sudden about-face raised ire from many of Trump’s followers: Bondi had previously claimed that not only did she have files on her desk and ready to be released, but Trump himself had previously promised to release info on Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of trafficking, abusing and exploiting hundreds of underage girls and young women.
