President Donald Trump was informed in May by Attorney General Pam Bondi that his name appears multiple times in Department of Justice documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to reports published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, CNN and The New York Times.
The briefing at the White House, which also included Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, occurred weeks before the Justice Department’s July announcement that it would not release additional Epstein files to the public, despite previous promises from administration officials.
A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to unseal grand jury transcripts from Epstein investigations, ruling that her “hands were tied” under existing law.
May Briefing Details
Senior administration officials told multiple news outlets that Bondi and Blanche informed Trump during what they characterised as a “routine briefing” that his name appeared in the files alongside many other high-profile figures. The officials said the files contained what they believed to be “unverified hearsay” about people who had socialised with Epstein, including the president.
“The White House is not surprised by this – Trump’s name was present in the binders that Bondi produced and handed out,” one White House official told CNN. “The White House does not view this as groundbreaking or new or surprising at all.”
FBI Director Kash Patel has also privately told other government officials that Trump’s name appears in the files, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Judge Rejects Grand Jury Release
U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg ruled on Wednesday that she could not legally grant the Justice Department’s request to release testimony from Florida grand juries that investigated Epstein in 2005 and 2007.
Eleventh Circuit law does not permit this Court to grant the Government’s request; the Court’s hands are tied — a point the Government concedes,” Rosenberg wrote in her 12-page opinion.
The judge noted that whilst the government cited strong public interest as justification, this did not fall under the limited exceptions allowed for unsealing grand jury materials under federal law.
Political Backlash Intensifies
The revelations have deepened a rift between Trump and segments of his political base, who expected the administration to release comprehensive information about Epstein’s activities and associates. Attorney General Bondi had previously told Fox News in February that Epstein’s “client list” was “sitting on my desk right now to review.
“THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment,” Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, posted after initial document releases contained no new information.
Senator Richard Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, revealed that FBI agents assigned to review Epstein files were instructed to “flag” any documents mentioning President Trump.
Trump’s Response and Legal Action
When asked earlier this month whether Bondi had told him he was mentioned in the documents, Trump told reporters: “No, no.”
The president has dismissed the controversy as a “hoax” perpetrated by Democrats, calling supporters who continue pushing for transparency “stupid” and “foolish.”
Trump escalated tensions by filing a £8 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch over a report that he sent Epstein a “bawdy” birthday letter in 2003. The Journal reported the letter contained a drawing of a naked woman and the message: “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
“This is not me. This is a fake thing. It’s a fake Wall Street Journal story,” Trump said. “I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women.”
Historical Context
Trump and Epstein were known associates during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2002, Trump described Epstein as a “terrific guy” who liked women “on the younger side.” The president’s name appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein’s private aircraft during the 1990s.
Trump has said their friendship ended before Epstein’s legal troubles began, claiming he banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort. In 2019, Trump told reporters he hadn’t spoken to Epstein in 15 years after a “falling out.”
Justice Department Findings
A Justice Department memo released on 7 July concluded that Epstein died by suicide and found no evidence of a “client list” or that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals. The memo stated: “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions.”
The department cited the presence of child exploitation material and victims’ personal information as reasons for not releasing additional files.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung dismissed the reports as “fake news,” stating: “The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep.
Congressional Response
The controversy has prompted bipartisan calls for transparency. House Speaker Mike Johnson said “all the credible evidence should come out,” whilst Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, called for “full transparency.”
Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing complete Epstein files. “We all deserve to know what’s in the Epstein files, who’s implicated, and how deep this corruption goes,” Massie wrote.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer announced arrangements to depose Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted associate, next month under congressional subpoena.
Legal Complexities
Two additional judges in New York are considering parallel requests to unseal grand jury transcripts related to later Epstein investigations. Judge Paul Engelmayer rejected a motion by Maxwell’s lawyers to review the documents, stating: “It is black-letter law that defendants generally are not entitled to access to grand jury materials.”
The Justice Department has asked judges for additional time to address why transcripts should be made public and to hear from Epstein’s representatives and victims.
Legal experts note that grand jury secrecy rules typically prohibit disclosure except in limited circumstances, creating significant obstacles for the administration’s transparency efforts.
What Happens Next
The Trump administration faces continued pressure from both supporters and critics demanding greater transparency about the Epstein investigations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she would “let this president speak to whether he wants to see an appeal” of Wednesday’s ruling.
The Justice Department must now decide whether to pursue appeals or alternative legal strategies to release information whilst navigating complex legal restrictions and political pressures from multiple constituencies.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 whilst awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming victims.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
