Latest news with #JamieRaskin
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Top House Democrats demand release of Epstein files that mention Trump
House Democrats on Tuesday demanded that the justice department release documents related to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking case that mentions or references Donald Trump, citing a comment by Elon Musk after he fell out with the president this year. The House judiciary committee's ranking member, Jamie Raskin, together with 15 other Democrats sent a six-page letter to the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, accusing her of withholding some Epstein files to protect the president from any damaging disclosures. They also called for the justice department to make public the second volume of former special counsel Jack Smith's report into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents, arguing that Bondi has a track record of using the justice department to protect the president. Related: Rightwing influencers indignant over FBI claim that Jeffrey Epstein's client list doesn't exist 'Stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump,' the letter said. No evidence has emerged to suggest Trump was connected to Epstein any more than has already become public, apart from a since-deleted X post by Elon Musk as he exited the White House under a cloud of controversy and accused the justice department of trying to insulate Trump from the matter. 'Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public,' Musk wrote in his post in June. The missive to Bondi came a day after the justice department and the FBI issued a memo that concluded that no secret client list of Epstein existed and reaffirmed the conclusion reached by federal investigators in 2019 that he died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell awaiting trial. The justice department also released video surveillance of the hallway outside of Epstein's cell, although the digital clock on the tape skipped from 11:58:58pm to 12:00am. Officials did not address the jump and added that no further materials would be made public. 'This administration has repeatedly claimed that President Trump is 'the most transparent and accessible president in American history'. So far, your DOJ has not only failed to live up to this promise, but you have also consistently hidden from the American public materials and information that may be damaging to President Trump,' the letter said. The release of the Epstein files has become an unlikely goal for the Trump administration after Bondi spent months hyping up the materials as being full of damaging details related to child porn and sex trafficking, creating anticipation among a core group of the president's supporters. The release of the first batch of documents related to the files, handed out to handpicked Trump-world personalities at the White House in white binders bearing the imprimatur of the justice department's seal, prompted widespread derision for containing no new information. As detailed in the judiciary committee Democrats' letter, Bondi then rapidly promised in a series of Fox News interviews that a number of teams at the department and the FBI were reviewing hundreds more pages from the Epstein files that would be made public in a second release. But the second release has also fallen flat. The justice department's Monday memo undercut Bondi's own statements and repeated conclusions reached by federal investigators years earlier. With Democrats in the minority, the request for the Epstein files or the second volume of Smith's final report into the classified documents case is almost certain to go unanswered. It was not clear whether Republicans on the committee would join the request. Republicans on the House judiciary committee have instead focused their time investigating the justice department's criminal cases against Trump. The Guardian previously reported in May that the committee interviewed former classified documents case prosecutor Jay Bratt. In that appearance, Bratt asserted his fifth amendment right against self-incrimination, which a spokesperson said he chose to do because 'this administration and its proxies have made no effort to hide their willingness to weaponize the machinery of government against those they perceive as political enemies'.
Fox News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats capitalize on GOP Jeffrey Epstein fallout with new demands for Jim Jordan
Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are seizing on Republican fractures over the Jeffrey Epstein case, demanding a public hearing on the issue. A letter from Democrats states, "To that end, we request that the Committee invite — and, if necessary, subpoena — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino to testify publicly about the Trump Administration's review of the Epstein matter, including the conclusions set forth in the undated and unsigned Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI memo providing that 'no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.'" They made the request to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, a close ally of President Donald Trump's. The letter, led by Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., is also signed by progressives like Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas. The memo they referenced, first reported earlier this week, said the late pedophile died by suicide. It also said there is no list of clients whom Epstein may have procured for exploitation by third parties. It's ignited a firestorm within the GOP, with far-right figures going after the attorney general for what they see as backpedaling on her promise to deliver full transparency on the Epstein files. Democrats, meanwhile, have appeared to put their concerns about fanning the flames of what the left has long seen as a conspiracy theory aside to use the Epstein case as a political cudgel to further divide Republicans. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino reportedly considered quitting his federal role over how the Epstein case was handled. Trump has been among Bondi's most ardent defenders in the fallout and has publicly urged his base to move on from the discord. The letter Tuesday from Democrats pointed out that Trump, Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel all made public statements regarding Epstein before taking power. "President Trump and his top appointees at the DOJ and FBI have spent years advancing theories that 'the Deep State' has been suppressing the true magnitude of the child sex trafficking and abuse ring created by Jeffrey Epstein and his associates," the Democrats said. "These claims have sunk deep into the public consciousness, due in no small part to President Trump, Mr. Patel, Mr. Bongino, and others' continued authoritative hyping of 'Epstein files' conspiracy theories to energize President Trump's supporters." They warned "the public will turn to conspiracy theories to fill the void of credible information" if "facts and evidence" were not made clear. "The Trump DOJ and FBI's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein matter, and President Trump's suddenly shifting positions, have not restored anyone's trust in the government but have rather raised profound new questions about their own conduct while increasing public paranoia related to the investigation," the letter said. "We must submit to public scrutiny President Trump's and MAGA's longstanding claims about the 'Epstein files,' new questions as to whether President Trump himself has something to hide, whether he is keeping damaging information secret to protect other individuals or to maintain future blackmail leverage over public and private actors or, perhaps the simplest explanation, whether President Trump and his Administration magnified and disseminated groundless Epstein conspiracy theories for purposes of political gain which they are now desperately trying to disavow and dispel." Trump has denied any allegations of impropriety related to Epstein. Fox News Digital reached out to Jordan's office for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat demands Trump ‘come clean' on Epstein files as FBI's Bongino and Patel mull quitting after Bondi blowup
Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said he will urge House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for questioning on the Jeffrey Epstein files as the two top G-men reportedly prepare to resign. The Trump administration faced a storm of backlash this week after a DOJ memo revealed the late sex offender had no secret client list, contradicting Bondi's February claim that it was 'sitting on my desk.' Bondi also reaffirmed that Epstein's 2019 death was a suicide by strangulation despite conspiracy theories suggesting otherwise. That upset many MAGA Trump supporters who expected major revelations based on earlier official statements. Jen Psaki, the host of The Briefing on MSNBC, asked Raskin on Friday why he thinks Bondi 'is holding back.' '[M]any of these people have gestured at the existence of a client list, so this is a vast public perception now without regard to ideological lines,' Raskin said. 'People believe that the client list is out there. And look, this guy was a real child sex offender, and they ran a child sex ring,' Raskin continued. 'So, we know that MAGA took that ball and ran all the way down the field with it, and they're alleging satanic child sex rings and so on. That has done huge damage to America's political and civic culture.' Raskin also questioned why President Donald Trump hasn't released the list despite demanding transparency, suggesting the president may be implicated, protecting others, or using the information as leverage. He feels it's now best 'for everybody to come clean.' 'I'm gonna be asking Chairman Jordan to call for a hearing where we subpoena the attorney general and Dan Bongino and Kash Patel to come in and tell us everything that we know because this thing is really spinning out of control at this point,' he said. 'And there's one way to put it to rest, which is to come clean, as President Trump promised he would during the campaign.' Bongino took the day off from work on Friday, Axios reports, and a source close to Bongino said "he ain't coming back." However, a White House spokesperson called the resignation rumors 'baseless.' Spokesperson Harrison Fields told The Independent Saturday, 'President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.' The Independent has contacted representatives for Bongino, Patel, and Bondi for comment. Also Friday, CNN's Kaitlan Collins told Anderson Cooper on AC360 that the endgame could boil down to who Trump supports more. 'We have heard that Kash Patel is outright threatening to resign. I think he's sympathetic to Dan Bongino, who is his number two, and they work very closely together. There's just a wall that separates their offices,' she said. Collins added that Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer is pushing for Bondi's removal, but said it appears unlikely to happen. 'What it shows, Anderson, is that this is all kind of their own making, because Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Pam Bondi were three of the officials who pushed a lot of the information when it came to Jeffrey Epstein,' Collins said. 'And so officials inside the White House are very frustrated because they feel like this news cycle is only getting worse for them. It is not from people that they can easily dismiss or say it's the media or Democrats. It is their own base that is so furious and so angry over how they've handled this. And the question is how they get out of it.' Earlier this week, Trump dismissed renewed interest in Epstein, criticizing a reporter for asking about the DOJ announcing there is no 'client list.' 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years,' Trump said. 'Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat demands Trump ‘come clean' on Epstein files as FBI's Bongino and Patel mull quitting after Bondi blowup
Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said he will urge House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for questioning on the Jeffrey Epstein files as the two top G-men reportedly prepare to resign. The Trump administration faced a storm of backlash this week after a DOJ memo revealed the late sex offender had no secret client list, contradicting Bondi's February claim that it was 'sitting on my desk.' Bondi also reaffirmed that Epstein's 2019 death was a suicide by strangulation despite conspiracy theories suggesting otherwise. That upset many MAGA Trump supporters who expected major revelations based on earlier official statements. Jen Psaki, the host of The Briefing on MSNBC, asked Raskin on Friday why he thinks Bondi 'is holding back.' '[M]any of these people have gestured at the existence of a client list, so this is a vast public perception now without regard to ideological lines,' Raskin said. 'People believe that the client list is out there. And look, this guy was a real child sex offender, and they ran a child sex ring,' Raskin continued. 'So, we know that MAGA took that ball and ran all the way down the field with it, and they're alleging satanic child sex rings and so on. That has done huge damage to America's political and civic culture.' Raskin also questioned why President Donald Trump hasn't released the list despite demanding transparency, suggesting the president may be implicated, protecting others, or using the information as leverage. He feels it's now best 'for everybody to come clean.' 'I'm gonna be asking Chairman Jordan to call for a hearing where we subpoena the attorney general and Dan Bongino and Kash Patel to come in and tell us everything that we know because this thing is really spinning out of control at this point,' he said. 'And there's one way to put it to rest, which is to come clean, as President Trump promised he would during the campaign.' Bongino took the day off from work on Friday, Axios reports, and a source close to Bongino said "he ain't coming back." However, a White House spokesperson called the resignation rumors 'baseless.' Spokesperson Harrison Fields told The Independent Saturday, 'President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.' The Independent has contacted representatives for Bongino, Patel, and Bondi for comment. Also Friday, CNN's Kaitlan Collins told Anderson Cooper on AC360 that the endgame could boil down to who Trump supports more. 'We have heard that Kash Patel is outright threatening to resign. I think he's sympathetic to Dan Bongino, who is his number two, and they work very closely together. There's just a wall that separates their offices,' she said. Collins added that Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer is pushing for Bondi's removal, but said it appears unlikely to happen. 'What it shows, Anderson, is that this is all kind of their own making, because Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Pam Bondi were three of the officials who pushed a lot of the information when it came to Jeffrey Epstein,' Collins said. 'And so officials inside the White House are very frustrated because they feel like this news cycle is only getting worse for them. It is not from people that they can easily dismiss or say it's the media or Democrats. It is their own base that is so furious and so angry over how they've handled this. And the question is how they get out of it.' Earlier this week, Trump dismissed renewed interest in Epstein, criticizing a reporter for asking about the DOJ announcing there is no 'client list.' 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years,' Trump said. 'Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.'
The Independent
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Democrat demands Trump ‘come clean' on Epstein files as FBI's Bongino and Patel mull quitting after Bondi blowup
Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin said he will urge House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino for questioning on the Jeffrey Epstein files as the two top G-men reportedly prepare to resign. The Trump administration faced a storm of backlash this week after a DOJ memo revealed the late sex offender had no secret client list, contradicting Bondi's February claim that it was 'sitting on my desk.' Bondi also reaffirmed that Epstein's 2019 death was a suicide by strangulation despite conspiracy theories suggesting otherwise. That upset many MAGA Trump supporters who expected major revelations based on earlier official statements. Jen Psaki, the host of The Briefing on MSNBC, asked Raskin on Friday why he thinks Bondi 'is holding back.' '[M]any of these people have gestured at the existence of a client list, so this is a vast public perception now without regard to ideological lines,' Raskin said. 'People believe that the client list is out there. And look, this guy was a real child sex offender, and they ran a child sex ring,' Raskin continued. 'So, we know that MAGA took that ball and ran all the way down the field with it, and they're alleging satanic child sex rings and so on. That has done huge damage to America's political and civic culture.' Raskin also questioned why President Donald Trump hasn't released the list despite demanding transparency, suggesting the president may be implicated, protecting others, or using the information as leverage. He feels it's now best 'for everybody to come clean.' 'I'm gonna be asking Chairman Jordan to call for a hearing where we subpoena the attorney general and Dan Bongino and Kash Patel to come in and tell us everything that we know because this thing is really spinning out of control at this point,' he said. 'And there's one way to put it to rest, which is to come clean, as President Trump promised he would during the campaign.' Bongino took the day off from work on Friday, Axios reports, and a source close to Bongino said "he ain't coming back." However, a White House spokesperson called the resignation rumors 'baseless.' Spokesperson Harrison Fields told The Independent Saturday, 'President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.' The Independent has contacted representatives for Bongino, Patel, and Bondi for comment. Also Friday, CNN's Kaitlan Collins told Anderson Cooper on AC360 that the endgame could boil down to who Trump supports more. 'We have heard that Kash Patel is outright threatening to resign. I think he's sympathetic to Dan Bongino, who is his number two, and they work very closely together. There's just a wall that separates their offices,' she said. Collins added that Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer is pushing for Bondi's removal, but said it appears unlikely to happen. 'What it shows, Anderson, is that this is all kind of their own making, because Kash Patel, Dan Bongino, and Pam Bondi were three of the officials who pushed a lot of the information when it came to Jeffrey Epstein,' Collins said. 'And so officials inside the White House are very frustrated because they feel like this news cycle is only getting worse for them. It is not from people that they can easily dismiss or say it's the media or Democrats. It is their own base that is so furious and so angry over how they've handled this. And the question is how they get out of it.' Earlier this week, Trump dismissed renewed interest in Epstein, criticizing a reporter for asking about the DOJ announcing there is no 'client list.' 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy's been talked about for years,' Trump said. 'Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.'
