Latest news with #clientlist
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rightwing influencers indignant over FBI claim that Jeffrey Epstein's client list doesn't exist
Rightwing influencers in the US who are often aligned with Donald Trump are angry that a joint justice department and FBI memo has dismissed the existence of a 'client list' in the case against late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The disgraced financier killed himself in a jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City in 2019 while awaiting prosecution on child sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges. Almost ever since, Epstein's death has been the subject of conspiracy theories on the right, including a supposed 'client list' that he purportedly used to blackmail wealthy co-conspirators. Related: Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, justice department and FBI review confirms Trump's presidential administration then created anticipation that the alleged list would be publicly disclosed, including the US attorney general, Pam Bondi, who had told Fox News in an interview: 'It's sitting on my desk right now to review.' But then a review conducted by the justice department and FBI 'revealed no incriminating 'client list'', said an unsigned and undated memo first obtained by Axios on Sunday. The memo added: 'There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' Further, the two-page, undated and unsigned memo stated that the government holds roughly 300 gigabytes of the evidence against Epstein, but that much of it would never be released because it contained identifying details about victims of trafficking or child abuse imagery. 'Only a fraction of this material would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial – as the seal served only to protect victims and did not expose any additional third parties to allegations of illegal wrongdoing,' the memo stated. Those findings have prompted rightwing influencers who are frequently in favor of Trump's policies to suggest that the federal government is protecting a powerful cabal of pedophiles. Some rightwing activists have even argued that the 'deep state' – a term they use to describe what they purport to be a permanent government of bureaucrats and operatives in place to thwart Trump – is more muscular than they imagined. 'Contextualizing all of this – this seems like unforgivable behavior,' conservative influencer Liz Wheeler said on the Glenn Beck show on Monday, according to the New Republic. 'Trump has to fire Pam Bondi,' said Keith and Kevin Hodge, known as the Hodge Twins on social media. 'She went on camera and told the world she has the Epstein client list on her desk … Now they say there is no list??' Conspiracy theorist and Infowars host Alex Jones added in an X post: 'Next the [justice department] will say, 'Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed.' This is over the top sickening.' The White House in February had evidently tried to satiate rightwing influencers demanding new information about Epstein with binders relating to his case. But they contained little if any new information that wasn't already publicly available. 'How could [Bondi] give the American people those 'phase 1' binders that contained nothing?' Wheeler said after the new memo first reported by Axios. Asked about Epstein by a reporter at the White House on Tuesday, Trump irately deflected. 'Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?' Trump said. 'This guy's been talked about for years. Are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable.' He also claimed it 'seems like a desecration' to discuss Epstein after the 4 July flash flooding in Texas that had killed more than 100 people. The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, had also previously been pressed about the administration's statements with respect to Epstein. She recently argued Bondi used the term 'client list' to refer to the entirety of evidence against Epstein. 'She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork, all of the paper, in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes, that's what the attorney general was referring to, and I'll let her speak for that,' Leavitt said.
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Donald Trump defends Pam Bondi over Jeffrey Epstein files
US President Donald Trump has defended Pam Bondi, America's highest-ranking prosecutor, amid growing calls from the president's supporters for her to a lengthy social media post, Trump hit out at complaints from critics who have accused Bondi of withholding more information about the death of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his so-called client list. The mounting attacks from critics come after a memo released by Bondi's Justice Department last week failed to deliver what many had hoped would be major revelations in the Epstein case."Let Pam Bondi do her job," Trump wrote in all caps, encouraging his supporters to "not waste time and energy" on Epstein. US Attorney General Bondi's critics include far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who was frequently seen with Trump on the campaign trail, and billionaire Elon Musk, Trump's biggest campaign memo sent out on Monday, jointly released with the FBI, said there was "no incriminating client list" nor evidence to suggest Epstein had blackmailed high-profile figures suspected of being in what conservatives call the "deep state". The government's findings were made, according to the memo, after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data. The findings follow multiple pledges from Bondi to reveal potentially damaging evidence related to Epstein, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs". Many of Bondi's past claims related to the Epstein files, and the possibility of hidden evidence, had been echoed by FBI Director Kash Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan the memo was released, frustrations from Bongino led to a contentious meeting between him and Bondi in the White House on Wednesday, according to the BBC's media partner CBS News. The feud highlighted what some have described as a growing division between the FBI and the Justice Department over the Epstein Friday, Loomer claimed on X that she was told Bongino was "seriously thinking about resigning".Bongino did not show up to work on Friday, according to CBS News sudden death aged 66 in a jail cell inside New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center has been a strong source of conspiracy theories for FBI and Justice Department's memo confirmed that Epstein died by suicide, which many people in Trump's orbit had suggested to Fox News in February that Epstein's client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review".However, she clarified those remarks in the White House on Tuesday, telling reporters that she was commenting on the entire Epstein "file" and other president's frustrations with the ongoing public interest in Epstein were on display last week in the White House, when he responded to a reporter's question with: "Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?"Conservatives have long held the conspiracy theory that high-ranking Democrats would be implicated in a full release of the Epstein files. Now liberals are asking whether a reluctance to release the files is to shield Trump.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why is Donald Trump facing a MAGA revolt over the Jeffrey Epstein files?
IN a rambling post on social media, US President Donald Trump sought to play down fury from his supporters over Jeffrey Epstein's alleged client list. 'We have a PERFECT Administration, THE TALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish people' are trying to hurt it, all over a guy who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. 'For years, it's Epstein, over and over again.' The Republican President urged his followers 'not to waste time and energy' on the Epstein case, but it appears the damage has already been done. So what happened and why has it caused such a stir in MAGA [Make America Great Again] circles. READ MORE: Last week, the US Department of Justice released an unsigned memorandum declaring that there was no evidence Epstein maintained a client list and there was no 'credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals.' Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors in 2019, before committing suicide in jail. The memorandum also stated that he had died by suicide, contrary to many prominent conspiracy theories. The news exploded in the MAGA universe – for years they had been told there was a client list. Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the client list was 'sitting on my desk' in February, but later claimed she was referencing the Epstein case file. (Image: Getty Images) Numerous high-profile Trump allies, such as vice president JD Vance (above) and Kash Patel, have said the list should be released. But now, Trump and his officials are rolling back and insisting the client list does not exist. In his social media post Trump claimed the files were written by 'Obama and Crooked Hilary' and 'the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration'. 'They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier that they used on me, and now my so-called "friends" are playing right into their hands,' Trump wrote. 'Why didn't these Radical Left Lunatics release the Epstein Files? If there was ANYTHING in there that could have hurt the MAGA Movement, why didn't they use it?' The row over the Epstein client list plays into a conspiracy theory, much like Q Anon, that believes the elite in society are involved in systemic sexual abuse of children, and covering it up. The Epstein client list was seen as a lightning rod for this, that would expose those elites who had been involved with the billionaire and his enabler and co-conspirator Ghislane Maxwell. Epstein and Maxwell groomed and sexually abused hundreds of young women and girls, and they had seemingly unlimited connections to powerful people across the country. One of Epstein's powerful friends was Trump, and they made no secret of partying together. Epstein and Trump in 1997 (Image: Getty Images) In 2002, Trump told New York Magazine: 'It is even said that he [Epstein] likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' It has also created a rift between the DOJ, headed by Bondi, and the FBI. Well, they are furious. 'The whole thing that this tape shows that he didn't kill himself is, like, a joke, but worse than that, it's a joke that we all get. I feel like we're at a dangerous point now,' Tucker Carlson said. 'RELEASE THE EPSTEIN CLIENT LIST!!!!' Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, while Alex Jones said the Trump administration was now 'part of the cover up'. At a student conference hosted by right-wing group Turning Point USA this weekend, the conversation was dominated by the rift over the Epstein files. 'Epstein is a key that picks the lock on so many things, not just individuals, but also institutions, intelligence institutions, foreign governments, and who's work and who was working with him on our intelligence apparatus and in our government,' Steve Bannon told the summit. He also said he is advocating for the Trump administration to appoint a special counsel to tackle the issue. And Elon Musk, who had a very public break up with the President not long ago, said: 'Seriously. He said 'Epstein' half a dozen times while telling everyone to stop talking about Epstein. Just release the files as promised.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pam Bondi Cornered on Her Epstein Files Hype at Trump Cabinet Meeting
Attorney General Pam Bondi was put on the spot about the so-called 'client list' of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at President Donald Trump's Cabinet meeting Tuesday. Bondi, who has taken heat for shutting down conspiracies about Epstein's clientele and death months after previously inflaming them, took the chance to defend herself. 'In February, I did an interview on Fox that is getting a lot of attention because I was asked a question about the client list. And my response was, 'It is sitting on my desk to be reviewed,' meaning the files, along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That is what I meant by that.' 'That is it on Epstein,' Bondi concluded. This is a developing story and will be updated.
Yahoo
a day 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.'
