'Let me see the videotapes': Mark Epstein wants Steve Bannon's 15 hours of unseen footage of his brother
But that documentary never came out. Now, Jeffrey Epstein's brother, Mark, is asking for Bannon to show him the unseen footage.
'Let me see the videotapes,' he told NBC News on Friday. 'He's my brother.'
Mark Epstein said that Bannon, the MAGA media personality, worked with his brother, then a convicted sex offender, after the Miami Herald in 2018 chronicled victims' details of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein. The two men filmed together before Epstein's arrest by federal authorities in the summer of 2019.
'He told me he has like 15 or 16 hours of videotape of Jeff. He was trying to help Jeff rehabilitate his reputation,' Mark Epstein said of Bannon. He said his meeting and conversation with Bannon took place in New York City after his brother's death in prison — in either 2019 or 2020.
'They spent a lot of time together,' Mark Epstein told NBC News.
Bannon is not accused of any wrongdoing and was never publicly part of any investigation into Epstein.
Bannon did not return a request for comment.
NBC News viewed Bannon entering Jeffrey Epstein's New York residence on one occasion in late 2018.
'When I met with Bannon, he said he wanted to put a documentary or something together. He was trying to raise some money for it,' said Mark Epstein, who says he has not heard from Bannon since then.
Business Insider first spoke with Mark Epstein in 2023 about his brother's death and Bannon's apparent documentary footage.
Bannon has a central place in the MAGA movement. A populist who played a key role in Trump's political rise, he now hosts the popular 'War Room' podcast. He has been advocating for the Trump administration to appoint a special counsel to look into the Epstein case.
In the trailer for 'The Monsters: Epstein's Life Among the Global Elite,' published by the New York Post, Jeffrey Epstein said he was a 'firm believer and supporter' of the Time's Up organization, which worked to combat sexual harassment. Bannon — who has a background as a Hollywood producer and a documentary filmmaker — is also seen asking Epstein whether he owns two islands, 'the Islands of Doctor Moreau,' to which Epstein replies, 'Correct.'
Bannon acknowledged the footage during a live taping of his podcast on July 12 and said that he intends to release at least parts of its contents 'early next year.'
'We're going to release the film, the five-part series next year — early next year,' Bannon said in response to a questioner about the documentary's future.
'You're going to have to name names, and you're going to have to understand how the elites of the world but also the intelligence services are inextricably linked in the Epstein story,' he added. 'That's the key.'
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro this week criticized Bannon for not releasing the footage.
'So, release the Epstein tapes, Steve,' Shapiro said. 'I mean, like, seriously. More transparency is gooder. How about that? It seems like it makes sense to me.'
During the taping of his podcast 'War Room' on Friday, Bannon called for Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the release of 'all the sealed evidence' related to the Epstein investigation.
'They should petition to release all the sealed evidence, right? And then there's much more they can do, but start with that,' Bannon said.
In 2021, The New York Times said that Bannon had confirmed that he had recorded more than 15 hours of interviews with Jeffrey Epstein. He said the film was meant to illustrate how Epstein's 'perversions and depravity toward young women were part of a life that was systematically supported, encouraged and rewarded by a global establishment that dined off his money and his influence.'
Jeffrey Epstein died in prison in August 2019. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging. But the circumstances around his death have long been fodder for many on the far right, who have pushed the conspiracy that ' Epstein didn't kill himself.'
Mark Epstein told NBC News that he now has doubts about the official explanation.
'My concern is that my brother was killed,' he said, adding, 'More and more, I believe he was murdered, and everyone who looks at all the information that's out there on facts comes to the same conclusion, correct?'
In May on Fox Business, FBI Director Kash Patel — who stoked Epstein conspiracy theories before joining the administration — said that the bureau had determined that Epstein took his own life.
'You know a suicide when you see one, and that's what that was,' Patel said at the time.
Mark Epstein called Patel a 'f---ing moron' for his assessment.
He said that Bannon sent a Dropbox link of one interview clip to Jeffrey Epstein, who, in turn, sent it to his brother. Mark said that the link to that footage has expired.
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Bondi called for release of Epstein files. What is she doing now?
Now, Bondi, 59, finds herself at the heart of the debate over whether more information will be disclosed on the alleged sex trafficker. More: 'Terrific guy': The Trump-Epstein party boy friendship lasted a decade, ended badly Despite his death six years ago, Epstein's case continues to haunt the headlines because of rampant speculation about which rich and powerful people might have joined him in sexually abusing minors. Bondi has said there was no client list in Epstein's criminal file. But President Donald Trump's name reportedly appears in the documents, and he was a repeat passenger on Epstein's private jet when the two were friends in the 1990s. Trump has denied wrongdoing or visiting Epstein's private island, where much of the abuse allegedly occurred. "The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep," said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, referring to Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida. Meanwhile, Bondi served as Florida's state attorney general years after Palm Beach County authorities convicted Epstein on prostitution charges and released him in 2009 after 13 months in detention, which was mostly work release. Federal authorities chose not to prosecute Epstein at all, in what critics called the legal "deal of the century." After a Miami Herald investigation of his case, New York-based federal prosecutors charged Epstein in July of 2019 with sex trafficking minors. He died in jail a month after his arrest and long before any criminal trial could happen, in what the New York medical examiner ruled and the Justice Department confirmed was a suicide. Now Bondi has asked federal judges to release grand jury transcripts in the case. One has already turned her down and another asked for more documentation. And federal prosecutors and Bondi's No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, met July 24 and again on 25 with Ghislaine Maxwell, an Epstein associate serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiracy to sexually abuse minors. Here are the highlights of Bondi's involvement in the case. Did Bondi investigate Epstein as Florida attorney general? After years of state-level investigation, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under age 18. During the inquiry, then-Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter disagreed with how Palm Beach state attorney Barry Krischer was handling the case and invited then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, an appointee from the George W. Bush administration, to investigate. But in what critics called the legal "deal of century," Epstein served 13 months on the two state charges under an agreement not to charge him federally. Bondi, a Republican, was elected statewide more than a year after Epstein was released and served as Florida's attorney general for two terms from 2011 to 2019. State attorneys such as Krischer are elected independently and don't report directly to the attorney general. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat who stepped down this year after a dozen years as Palm Beach state attorney, said the Epstein matter never went before Bondi. "Zero overlap," said Aronberg, who also served as Florida's state drug czar under Bondi. "It was long over by the time she got there." Robert Jarvis, a law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said after state and federal prosecutors concluded their case there appeared to be nothing more for Bondi to pursue. "There was no reason to start a new investigation," Jarvis said, unless new evidence was brought to Bondi's office. Bondi said Epstein never should have been released Still, with accusations of more than 1,000 victims in the case, Republicans and conspiracy theorists have long argued for the release of additional information because of skepticism Epstein died by suicide and demands for a presumed client list that could lead to more prosecutions. Two days after Epstein died, Bondi told Sean Hannity on Fox News on Aug. 12, 2019, that he should have never been let out of custody. More: Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, awaiting sex trafficking charges, dead of apparent suicide "Well, he should have never been released when he was in jail serving his jail time. Someone who is accused of sex crimes convicted should never be on work release," Bondi said. "So what do we have now? We have a dead, most likely pedophile, coward, and we have very brave victims who wants to face the person that did this to them." Bondi pledged to release information after becoming attorney general Shortly after her early February confirmation as Trump's second-term U.S. attorney general, Bondi again highlighted the case and began pledging to release files. Fox News host John Roberts asked Bondi on Feb. 21 whether she would release the list of Epstein's clients. "Will that really happen?" he asked. "It's sitting on my desk right now to review," Bondi replied. "That's been a directive by President Trump. I'm reviewing that." Then Bondi told Fox News host Jesse Watters on Feb. 26 more information would be released. "I think tomorrow, Jesse, breaking news right now, you're going to see some Epstein information being released by my office." She then added, "What you're going to see, hopefully tomorrow, is a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information." The Justice Department released documents on Feb. 27 that had previously been leaked, but were never formally released. "The Department remains committed to transparency and intends to release the remaining documents upon review and redaction to protect the identities of Epstein's victims," a department statement said. The lack of revelations in the release disappointed lawmakers and others who expected bombshells from the release. "THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, wrote on social media Feb. 27. "GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!" Bondi made a point of noting in a Feb. 27 letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that she had requested "the full and complete files related to Jeffrey Epstein" but learned she received only a fraction of them. She initially received about 200 pages, "which consisted primarily of flight logs, Epstein's list of contacts, and a list of victims' names and phone numbers," she wrote. But the FBI field office in New York notified her that day there were thousands more pages of records, audio and video recordings, and other materials related to Epstein and his clients. "There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access," Bondi wrote Patel. "The Department of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these files will be done in a manner to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with law, as I have done my entire career as a prosecutor." Appearing on Hannity's FOX News program, Bondi on March 3 said that an order she issued in February resulted in a "truckload" of Epstein files being delivered by the FBI. "Thousands of pages of documents. I have the FBI going through them," Bondi said. "We believe in transparency, and America has the right to know." Justice Department release on Epstein sparks criticism Against that backdrop, the Justice Department released a memo July 7 that said a "systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list'" and confirmed Epstein died by suicide in August 2019. "Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither" to combat child exploitation nor bring justice to victims, according to the memo. "No further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted." More: Family feud: Trump at odds with MAGA movement on multiple fronts The memo set off a firestorm of criticism from inside Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement and calls for the release of more information: Charlie Kirk, the head of Turning Point USA, listed 10 things he thinks should be done about the files and witnesses. Kirk later said he was done talking about Epstein and trusted his friends in the administration. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, said "no one is satisfied with what has been received of lack thereof," on "The Benny Show." Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, and Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, cosponsored a petition to force a House vote on releasing the files. The next day at a White House Cabinet meeting, Trump discouraged reporters from asking questions about Epstein. "Are people still talking about this guy, this creep? That is unbelievable," Trump said as he preferred to talk about legislative victories and recovery efforts for Texas flood damage. "It just seems like a desecration. But you go ahead." Two seats to Trump's right at the July 8 Cabinet meeting, Bondi then tried to clarify her remarks from the February interview with John Roberts that she was referring to the entire Epstein file, rather than a specific client list. "I was asked a question about the client list and my response was, 'It's sitting on my desk to be reviewed,' meaning the file, not the client list," she told reporters. Bondi also said jailhouse video from New York was missing a minute because of a nightly reset for the aged recording system. And she said any of Epstein's videos from the investigation would never "see the light of day" because they contain child pornography. "Also, to the tens of thousands of video, they turned out to be child porn downloaded by that disgusting Jeffrey Epstein," Bondi said. "Child porn is what they were. Never going to be released. Never going to see the light of day." Lawmakers seek release of Epstein file The Trump administration denials raised suspicions there was something to hide. Democrats piled on with Republicans to demand more information. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, joined Massie on the proposed legislation that aims to force the Justice Department to release all its records related to Epstein. More: Is Trump in the Epstein files? Before Bondi's reported alert, here is where he appeared By mid-July, with the tempest rising, Trump directed Bondi to seek the release of grand jury testimony in the case. Bondi filed three requests July 18. It wasn't enough to help out House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, who suspended House floor action days before the scheduled August recess rather than face a vote on Massie's legislation. Johnson, a close Trump ally, said his decision for lawmakers' early dismissal was to "give the president space" to resolve questions about the investigation. He added that members of Congress were threading a fine needle trying to secure the release of information about Epstein while protecting his victims. Trump "wants maximum transparency but he's also very insistent that we do not subject people who have already been victims of unspeakable crimes to further public scrutiny," Johnson told reporters July 22. "It would be a very dangerous thing to put those people's names out or do a release of information in a way that is haphazard, where they could be easily unmasked." More: Republicans still have an Epstein dilemma. Now they have to face voters. "As things are revealed and, I hope will take place quickly, you will see that it is yet another Democrat CON JOB," Trump wrote on social media July 24. "Hopefully, the Grand Jury Files will put an end to this HOAX. Everyone should see what is there, but people who are innocent should not be hurt." Judges review requests to unseal Epstein file One big challenge for Bondi and the Trump administration as they push for more disclosures: Grand jury evidence traditionally remains confidential. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach quickly refused to unseal the documents. The judge, an appointee of President Barack Obama, said the Bondi-led department's request to release grand jury documents from 2005 and 2007 did not meet any of the extraordinary exceptions under federal law that could make them public. Rosenberg said her "hands are tied." U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer in New York, another Obama appointee who presided over Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell's case, said there are exceptions to the secrecy rules but that Bondi hadn't invoked them. Engelmayer set a July 29 deadline for the government to explain why the disclosure is being sought, what specific information should be disclosed and whether grand jury witnesses are still alive. He also asked for a complete set of transcripts, a redacted version for potential release and a list of other evidence such as exhibits. Maxwell, an associate of Epstein who is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for conspiring to sexually abuse minors, has until Aug. 5 to say whether she agrees to disclosure or opposes it. Victims face an Aug. 5 deadline to state their positions. "The Court intends to resolve this motion expeditiously," Engelmayer wrote. "However, the Court cannot rule on the motion without additional submissions." Federal prosecutors meet with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche - who previously served as Trump's private lawyer defending him in a series of criminal cases - met July 24 and 25 with Maxwell to find out what more she can say about her dealings with Epstein. "If Ghislaine Maxwell has information about anyone who has committed crimes against victims, the FBI and the DOJ will hear what she has to say," Blanche in a statement on social media on July 22 while planning the meeting. But Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, argued Blanche's effort was to protect Trump "by tacitly floating a pardon for Maxwell in return for information that politically benefits President Trump." "Maxwell's information is only as credible as any corroboration found in the Epstein files, including recordings, witness interviews, electronic communications, and photographs and videos," said Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as lead counsel in Trump's first House impeachment and battled against a presidential defense team that included Bondi. "Do not be fooled: this latest delay tactic is yet another effort to conceal the Epstein files." The same day as the Justice Department's announcement, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed to subpoena Maxwell for questions from lawmakers. Three days later, as he readied to leave on a trip to Scotland, Trump responded to reporters that he hasn't considered pardoning Maxwell. Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler and Holly Baltz of The Palm Beach Post
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Thanks to Epstein, MAGA is waking up to Trump's endless lies
And then ... Trump and Co. tried to drop the Epstein matter. They said it was a nothingburger. Trump called it boring. Old news. He told his loyalists they were "weaklings" for not letting it go. MAGA is shocked to learn that President Donald Trump lies It was a twist that few in the Trump-loving universe saw coming. Put simply, he lied about releasing the files. And then, as we recently learned, he lied about whether his name appears in the files. His flailing attempts at distraction, his finger-pointing at others who were friends with Epstein and his decision to send a top Justice Department official (who happens to have previously been the president's personal defense attorney) to speak with Epstein's imprisoned sex-trafficking partner Ghislaine Maxwell have all made Trump seem desperate. Opinion: 'South Park' mocking naked Trump = NOT FUNNY. Fake Obama arrest video = FUNNY! And that has given the MAGA faithful a rare moment of clarity. Let me say this to them: Welcome back to reality. Your hero-president is a liar who lies about everything. Trump lies incessantly. His supporters might be starting to notice. He lied about the 2020 election being stolen. He lied about the crowd size at his first inauguration. He lied about the state of the economy under former President Joe Biden. He lied about crime rates. He has recently been lying about former President Barack Obama engaging in a coup or committing treason or whatever his latest evidence-less claim happens to be. He lied about migrants eating dogs. He has lied about U.S. cities being destroyed by immigrant gangs. He lies about his polling numbers, which lately are abysmal. Opinion: Insecure Trump knows he'll never measure up to Obama. And it kills him. He was asked not long ago whether Attorney General Pam Bondi had told him his name appears in the Epstein files. To that he said: "No, no." The Wall Street Journal reported July 23 that Bondi had told Trump his name appears "multiple times." So that's a banger of a lie? And based on the MAGA fury over the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, it's one of the lies that broke through the "Everything Trump Says Is Gospel" barrier that has long protected his supporters from the painful truth of his habitual dishonesty. How can anything Trump says about the Epstein case be trusted? So my question to Trump supporters, seeing for the first time that the president plays fast and loose with the truth, is this: As the Epstein story continues to unfold, how can you trust anything Trump tells you? His deception already indicates he has something to hide, and having something to hide when it comes to Epstein is among the reddest of red flags. You believed Trump would bring down the vile elites who were part of a global conspiracy, but now you've gotten a glimpse at the possibility that the president is, at best, trying to protect powerful people or, at worst, trying to protect himself. Trump has made himself an inextricable part of the Epstein conspiracy One day, when the administration starts miraculously releasing the information it refuse to release right now, and if the name "Trump" is miraculously scrubbed from that information, and if we learn that Trump's former defense attorney and current Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has offered leniency or a pardon to Maxwell in exchange for testimony that miraculously exonerates Trump while targeting powerful Democrats, what will you think? Will you remember Trump lied to you? Will you remember how squirrelly he got as the Epstein story boiled? Will you remember his evasiveness and wild blame-casting? Or will you retreat to the safety of believing Trump to be a faultless purveyor of truth? Will you stick with the lies you swallowed before, and maybe gulp down a few more to dull the pain of facing the true nature of his character? MAGA has a choice with Epstein: Embrace the light or retreat to the shadows People like me have been saying for years that Trump can't be trusted. You've ignored such claims every step of the way, but now he hit a nerve, and it will require Herculean levels of denial to unsee the sidesteps and dissembling. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. If you care about the Epstein case - and whether it involves Democrats or Republicans or celebrities or whoever, we all should - you know as well as I do that Trump and this administration can't be trusted. That private jet has flown. Trump has woven himself into the conspiracy by behaving in a conspiratorial way. So you have a choice, MAGA: a harsh reality or the comfort of lies. I have no confidence you'll choose reality. But I at least hope the decision is tougher than usual. Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @ and on Facebook at
Reuters
5 hours ago
- Reuters
Epstein furor undermines public trust, Republican election hopes, two US lawmakers say
WASHINGTON, July 27 (Reuters) - The uproar over disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could undermine public trust in the Trump administration, as well as Republican hopes of retaining control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, two U.S. lawmakers said on Sunday. Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who want the House of Representatives to vote on their bipartisan resolution requiring full release of the government's Epstein files, said the lack of transparency is reinforcing public perceptions that the rich and powerful live beyond the reach of the judicial system. "This is going to hurt Republicans in the midterms. The voters will be apathetic if we don't hold the rich and powerful accountable," Massie, a hardline conservative from Kentucky, told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. Republicans hope to add to their current 219-212 House majority - with four seats currently vacant - and 53-47 Senate majority in November 2026, although the U.S. political cycle traditionally punishes the party of the sitting president during midterm elections. The Washington Post reported late on Sunday that Trump was increasingly frustrated with his administration's handling of the furor around Epstein. Even so, the president was hesitant to make personnel changes to avoid creating a "bigger spectacle" as his top officials underestimated the outrage from Trump's own base over the issue, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. Khanna said Attorney General Pam Bondi triggered "a crisis of trust" by saying there was no list of Epstein clients after previously implying that one existed. The change in position unleashed a tsunami of calls for her resignation from Trump's MAGA base. "This is about trust in government," the California Democrat told "Meet the Press." "This is about being a reform agent of transparency." President Donald Trump, who on Sunday announced an EU trade deal in Scotland, has been frustrated by continued questions about his administration's handling of investigative files related to Epstein's criminal charges and 2019 death by suicide in prison. Massie and Khanna believe they can win enough support from fellow lawmakers to force a vote on their resolution when Congress returns from its summer recess in September. But they face opposition from Republican leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent lawmakers home a day early to stymie Democratic efforts to force a vote before the break. Johnson, who also appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," said he favors a non-binding alternative resolution that calls for release of "credible" evidence, but which he said would better protect victims including minors. "The Massie and Khanna discharge petition is reckless in the way that it is drafted and presented," Johnson said. "It does not adequately include those protections." Massie dismissed Johnson's claim as "a straw man" excuse. "Ro and I carefully crafted this legislation so that the victims' names will be redacted," he said. "They're hiding behind that." Trump has tried and failed so far to distract attention from the Epstein controversy six months into his second term. On Saturday, Trump repeated his claims without evidence that 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and other Democrats should be prosecuted over payment for endorsements from celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce and the Reverend Al Sharpton. Last week he accused former President Barack Obama of "treason" over how the Obama administration treated intelligence about Russian interference in U.S. elections nine years ago, drawing a rebuke from an Obama spokesperson. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally, said on Sunday that Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, had found new information that investigators initially discovered no evidence of Russian election interference but changed their position after Obama told them to keep looking. "I'm not alleging he committed treason, but I am saying it bothers me," Graham told "Meet the Press." Democratic Representative Jason Crow dismissed Gabbard's claims, telling the "Fox News Sunday" program that the national intelligence director had turned herself into "a weapon of mass distraction." The Department of Justice has said it is forming a strike force to assess Gabbard's claims.
