Durbin urges Bondi to release Epstein files 'without delay'
Criticism mounts over handling of Epstein files
U.S Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing continued criticism after the Justice Department said convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a client list.
CHICAGO - U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to immediately release the files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking case, citing the public’s need for transparency.
What we know:
Durbin, of Illinois, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, both Democrats, sent a letter to Bondi on Thursday calling on her to release the Epstein records without delay.
Their letter follows a unanimous bipartisan vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee last week requiring the attorney general to retain, preserve and compile all records related to Epstein and submit a report to Congress within 60 days.
"There is no reason to wait until the bill with our amendment makes its way through Congress," the senators wrote. "We call upon you to follow the bipartisan directive of the Appropriations Committee and release the Epstein files without delay."
Sen. Dick Durbin and Attorney General Pam Bondi | Getty Images
Durbin and Van Hollen said releasing the records is necessary to ensure the justice system operates "without secrecy or undue influence," especially in a case involving what they described as "horrifying sexual abuse of over 1,000 young women and girls."
The backstory:
Prior to Durbin and Van Hollen's letter, President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Bondi should release "whatever she thinks is credible" in the Epstein investigation amid pressure from some lawmakers and the public.
"Anything that’s credible, I would say, let them have it," Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One, according to the New York Post.
But the Associated Press noted that Trump, while addressing reporters, also claimed there were credibility issues with the documents—suggesting, without citing evidence, that they were 'made up' by former FBI Director James Comey and former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The president's remarks came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI's decision to close their review of Epstein's case without disclosing any new information about it to the public sparked fury among the MAGA base.
When she first took office in February, Bondi implied in a FOX News interview that Epstein had an alleged "client list" that was sitting on her desk.
However, the DOJ and FBI shared a memo on July 7 saying the agencies found no list and uncovered no new people whom they could bring charges against. The revelation was met with intense backlash from a faction of Trump supporters, which Trump and DOJ leadership have since been struggling to quell.
"He's [been] dead for a long time. He was never a big factor in terms of life. I don't understand what the interest or what the fascination is. I really don't, and the credible information's been given," Trump said of Epstein's case files.
Trump added, "It's pretty boring stuff. It's sordid, but it's boring."
In 2019, federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking, but he killed himself in jail while awaiting trial. Ghislaine Maxwell was prosecuted for helping recruit his underage victims, and she was convicted in 2021 and is currently serving a 20-year prison term.
What's next:
Durbin and Van Hollen asked Bondi to release the Epstein files within 30 days, by Aug. 16.
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The Source: The information in this article was obtained from Sen. Dick Durbin, The Associated Press, The New York Post, FOX News, and previous FOX 32 reporting.