Washington.- The Department of Justice and the FBI are struggling to contain the repercussions of this week’s decision to withhold records from the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking, which has irritated influential figures in the extreme right media and supporters of President Donald Trump.
The measure, which included the acknowledgment that a particularly sought-after document never existed, sparked a tense conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House this week. The dispute threatened to rupture their relationship and centered, in part, on a report that described the divisions between the FBI and the Department of Justice.
The wave of disappointment and disbelief stemming from the refusal to disclose the highly publicized additional records of the Epstein investigation highlights the difficulties faced by the leaders of the FBI and the Department of Justice in addressing the conspiracy theories and exaggerated expectations that they themselves have fueled with accusations of cover-up and hidden evidence.
Angered by the failure of officials to unveil, as promised, the secrets of the so-called ‘deep state’, Trump’s supporters on the far right have expressed unease and even demanded changes in the leadership.
The tensions that had simmered for months erupted once again on Monday when the Department of Justice and the FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded Epstein did not possess a ‘client list,’ despite Bondi having hinted in February that such a document was on her desk and had decided not to release any further investigation records.
The department revealed a video intended to demonstrate that Epstein committed suicide in jail, but even that surprised conspiracy theorists due to a missing minute in the footage.
This is not the first time that officials in the Trump administration have failed to fulfill their promise to provide the evidence that their supporters expect.
In February, influential conservatives were invited to the White House, where they received folders titled «The Epstein Files: Phase 1» and «Declassified.» However, the folders contained information that was largely already in the public domain.Subsequently, Bondi claimed that a source from the FBI informed her of the existence of thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents and instructed her to provide the complete Epstein files. She later stated that officials were reviewing a significant amount of previously withheld evidence that she indicated had been provided by the FBI.
However, after months of reviewing the evidence in possession of the government, the Department of Justice determined in Monday’s memorandum that no further disclosure would be appropriate or justified. The department noted that much of the material was sealed by a court to protect the victims, and that only a fraction would have been publicly disclosed had Epstein been tried.
The Trump administration hoped that this statement would be the final word on the saga, and Trump reprimanded a journalist who asked Bondi about the Epstein case during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Bondi and Bongino clash over the Epstein files
However, 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 the condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.
Part of the conflict centered around an article from NewsNation that quoted a ‘source close to the White House’ claiming that the FBI would have released Epstein’s files months ago if it could have done so independently. The article included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI director Kash Patel, which refuted the premise, but not those of Bongino.
Axios was the first news outlet to describe the conversation.
Blanche attempted to mitigate the fallout on Friday with a social media post in which he stated that he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memorandum.
«We all approve of the content and conclusions of the memorandum. Any suggestion that there was any discrepancy between the leaders of the FBI and the Department of Justice regarding the writing and publication of this memorandum is completely false,» he wrote on X.
Also on Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, close to Trump, published on X that she had been told that Bongino was ‘seriously considering resigning’ and that he had taken the day off to reflect on his future. Bongino typically has an active presence on social media but has remained silent since Wednesday.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment, and the White House attempted to downplay any tension in a statement.
«President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced public safety team, dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,» stated spokesperson Harrison Fields. «This work is being carried out smoothly and cohesively. Any attempt to sow division within this team is unfounded and distracts from the real progress being made in the restoration of public safety and the pursuit of justice for all.»
