The White House has pushed back against a report from The Wall Street Journal claiming that United States President, Donald Trump, was informed in May that his name appeared in justice department documents tied to deceased financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the Journal, Attorney General Pam Bondi delivered the news during a routine briefing and clarified that Trump’s mention in the documents did not indicate any wrongdoing.
Reacting to the report, a White House spokesperson dismissed the article as a “fake news story.”
While Trump had once promised during his campaign to release files related to Epstein, supporters have grown increasingly frustrated by the administration’s reluctance to unveil the so-called “client list,” which the justice department and FBI have stated does not exist.
Epstein, who had longstanding ties to elites including Trump before their reported falling out in 2004, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
His death was ruled a suicide, yet has fueled years of conspiracy theories due to the high-profile nature of the case and his previous conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
On the same day The Wall Street Journal published its report, a Florida judge denied a justice department request to unseal court files relating to Epstein’s earlier prosecution in the state.
Despite this, a US House subcommittee voted to subpoena the department for its Epstein files. The subpoena requires the signature of Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer before taking effect.
The Journal also reported that Bondi told Trump the files included unverified hearsay about many individuals, including the president. This contradicts Trump’s recent claim that Bondi never told him his name appeared in the documents.
Additionally, Bondi allegedly warned the files contained child pornography and sensitive victim information that should remain sealed.
Although Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein, the Journal’s report was corroborated by other US outlets but remains unverified by the BBC.
Trump spokesman, Steven Cheung, labelled the report a continuation of “fake news” and compared it to the Obama-era Russia probe, which he claimed Trump was right about.
Attorney General Bondi defended her position, saying nothing in the Epstein files warranted further investigation or prosecution.
FBI Director, Kash Patel, echoed this sentiment, accusing “criminal leakers and Fake News media” of spreading lies to discredit Trump.
However, a White House official told Reuters they were not disputing that Trump’s name appears in the files. That official pointed to previously disclosed documents from February, which included Trump’s family members’ phone numbers and were shared with conservative influencers.
Trump had earlier instructed Bondi to pursue the release of grand jury materials, prompting the justice department to seek court approvals in both Florida and New York.
But Judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that unsealing the Florida files would breach state grand jury secrecy rules, adding, “The court’s hands are tied.”
The transcripts in question come from a 2006 Florida investigation that resulted in Epstein being charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution. Rosenberg also declined to move the case to New York, where two separate judges are still considering whether to release materials from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case.
Meanwhile, interest has turned to Epstein’s former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for sex trafficking. Her lawyer confirmed she is preparing to meet with a senior justice department official and may testify before Congress if she waives her right to remain silent.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have also subpoenaed Maxwell to appear remotely from prison on 11 August. Her attorney said Maxwell is proceeding “one step at a time” and that the upcoming DOJ meeting will shape her response to the congressional summons.
House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned against relying on Maxwell’s testimony, calling her untrustworthy due to her conviction for “terrible, unspeakable, conspiratorial acts.”
Bondi, who previously hinted at having “a lot of names” and flight logs, recently confirmed there is no incriminating client list and reaffirmed that Epstein took his own life.
Bondi’s apparent reversal has angered some of Trump’s staunchest backers, who have called for her resignation.
As Republicans quarrel over how to proceed, Democrats accuse Trump’s team of orchestrating a cover-up. Though Johnson attempted to pause legislative action by adjourning Congress early for summer break, House Oversight rebels moved forward with a vote to compel the DOJ to release Epstein-related files.
