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Two Democratic lawmakers have publicly called for Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to clarify whether documents related to Jeffrey Epstein are being withheld to protect President Donald Trump, following a claim made by Elon Musk.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, yesterday Elon Musk claimed that former President Donald Trump is named in the unreleased Jeffrey Epstein files, suggesting this is the reason they have not been fully declassified. This claim reignited criticism surrounding the handling of the Epstein case under Trump’s administration, particularly the delays and redactions in document releases. In late February, Attorney General Pam Bondi released over 100 pages of Epstein-related materials—including flight logs and contact books—but the documents largely contained information that had already been publicly known for years. This prompted bipartisan frustration, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna calling the release “a complete disappointment” and accusing Bondi of “stonewalling.”
What’s going on now: In a joint letter released late Thursday night, Democratic Reps. Stephen Lynch and Robert Garcia called on Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to “immediately clarify whether this allegation is true” and to provide documentation related to any decisions about the redaction or withholding of Epstein-related files. The lawmakers specifically raised concern that “the President may be involved in determining which files should be released and whether files will be withheld from the public if he personally chooses to withhold them.” They stated that “any attempts to prevent the appropriate release of the Epstein files to shield the President from truth and accountability merits intense scrutiny by Congress and by the Department of Justice (DOJ).”
Garcia and Lynch demanded a detailed timeline of the DOJ’s declassification process, a description of Trump’s role—if any—in reviewing the documents, a list of personnel involved in their release, and an explanation for why the files sent to the House Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets contained “significant redactions.”
This comes as outside groups are also taking legal action. The conservative nonprofit Judicial Watch has sued the Department of Justice, claiming it failed to comply with multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding the Epstein files. Meanwhile, twelve women who survived abuse by Epstein filed a lawsuit against the FBI last week, alleging the agency failed to protect them by neglecting to act on early evidence.
