Attorney General Pam Bondi demanded Thursday that the FBI turn over thousands of pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender who died by suicide in federal custody in 2019.
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Bondi wrote that she told Patel before his Senate confirmation she wanted all the files related to Epstein, who often socialized with celebrities, royalty, and other powerful individuals, including on a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bondi wrote that after she talked with Patel, she received 200 pages that contained flight logs, a list of Epstein contacts, and a list of victims' names and phone numbers. Also Thursday, the Department of Justice announced the first phase in the release of Epstein documents that had been leaked but not formally distributed by the government, including flight logs and Epstein's personal address book.
But Bondi wrote that a source told her the FBI field office in New York possessed thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.
Epstein was charged in July 2019 in New York with sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. The next month, he was found dead in his jail cell of an apparent suicide. Ghislaine Maxwell, who recruited young girls for Epstein, was convicted in 2021 of sex trafficking and conspiracy for helping him procure girls, but no client names were revealed during her trial. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Bondi wrote that despite her repeated requests, she was never notified about files held by the New York field office.
"When you and I spoke yesterday, you were just as surprised as I was to learn this new information," she wrote to Patel. "By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.
"There will be no withholdings of limitations to my or your access. The Department of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these files will be done in a matter to protect the privacy of victims and in accordance with the law, as I have done my entire professional career."
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, also requested that Patel investigate as to why her original order was not followed and to report to her the findings and any recommendations for personnel action within 14 days.
"I appreciate your immediate attention to this important matter," Bondi wrote. "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."
Newsmax reached out to the FBI for comment.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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