Attorney General Says FBI Caught Withholding Some Jeffrey Epstein Files

Pam Bondi has pledged to release files related to Epstein, a convicted sex offender.

Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a press briefing at the Department of Justice in Washington on Feb. 12, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The FBI was caught withholding files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Feb. 27.

In a letter to new FBI Director Kash Patel, Bondi said her request to the bureau for all files related to Epstein yielded about 200 pages of documents, most of which were flight logs, lists of contacts, and lists of victims’ names and phone numbers.

“I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents. Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein,” Bondi wrote.

“Despite my repeated requests, the FBI never disclosed the existence of these files. When you and I spoke yesterday, you were just as surprised as I was to learn this new information.”

Bondi said the FBI must deliver all files related to Epstein to her office by 8 a.m. on Feb. 28.

“There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access,” she said.

The FBI’s national press office did not respond to a request for comment, and the FBI’s New York City office did not pick up the phone or return a voicemail.

Later Thursday, Bondi released some files related to Epstein.

Bondi had said earlier in the week that her office would start releasing Epstein’s information on Feb. 27.

Epstein, in 2008, was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution. He was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he was found dead in a New York City jail in 2019. Authorities ruled the death a suicide.

Some of Epstein’s alleged co-conspirators have avoided being named, drawing calls for their identities, along with other information related to Epstein, to be made public.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) has been one of the most vocal lawmakers advocating for the information to be released.

“The American people deserve 100 percent transparency, and we will continue to push for that,” she wrote on social media platform X on the morning of Feb. 27. Several hours later, she said neither she nor the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets had reviewed any documents being reviewed by the Department of Justice.

Investigation Ordered

Bondi also directed Patel to immediately launch an investigation into why her order to the FBI was not followed.

“You will deliver to me a comprehensive report of your findings and proposed personnel action within 14 days,” she wrote. “I appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter.

“I know that we are both committed to transparency for the American people, and I look forward to continuing to work with you to serve our President and our country.”

When asked during his confirmation hearing whether he would direct investigators to further probe the Epstein case, Patel said he would.

“Child sex trafficking has no place in the United States of America, and I will do everything if confirmed as FBI director to make sure the American public knows the full weight of what happened in the past,” he said.