WSJ: Trump was told he is in Epstein's files

(Patria) - U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The revelation of Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's records threatens to deepen the political crisis that has engulfed his administration. Some Trump supporters have for years spread theories about Epstein's clients and the circumstances of his death in prison in 2019.

The White House sent mixed signals. First, it issued a statement characterizing it as "fake news," but a White House official later told Reuters that the administration does not deny that Trump's name appears in some files, noting that Trump was already included in a batch of materials Bondi compiled in February for conservative influencers.

Trump, who was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, appears multiple times in the flight logs of Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in Epstein's contact book, along with hundreds of others.

Much of that material was publicly released in the criminal proceedings against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to twenty years in prison after being convicted of child trafficking for sexual exploitation and other crimes.

During the trial, Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump denied being on the plane.

Trump faced intense backlash from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise.

The Justice Department said in a memo earlier this month that there were no grounds to continue the investigation into Epstein's case, which angered some prominent Trump supporters who demanded more information about the rich and powerful people who communicated with Epstein.

Trump has not been charged with any offenses related to Epstein and said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago.
Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the Journal's report.

"Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a request with the court to unseal the grand jury transcripts," officials said.

"As part of our routine briefing, we informed the President of the findings."

Many names have emerged

The newspaper reported that Bondi and her deputy told Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as the names of "many other prominent figures," appeared in the files.
Epstein committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, to which he pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution in Florida in 2008 and received a thirteen-month sentence in what is now considered a too-lenient deal with prosecutors.

Under political pressure last week, Trump ordered the Justice Department to request the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein.

On Wednesday, District Judge Robin Rosenberg denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall under any of the exceptions to the rule requiring grand jury material to be kept secret.

That request stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007. According to court documents, the department also requested the release of transcripts in federal court in Manhattan related to subsequent indictments against Epstein and Maxwell.

Last week, the WSJ wrote that Trump sent Epstein a vulgar birthday message in 2003 that ended with "Happy birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret."

Trump sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, claiming the birthday message was fake.

MAGA movement

Trump and his advisors have long engaged in conspiracy theories, including those about Epstein, which have resonated with Trump's political base. The general refusal of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement to accept his administration's argument that these theories are now unfounded is unusual for a politician accustomed to enjoying relatively unquestioned loyalty from his supporters.

Epstein hanged himself in prison, according to the chief medical examiner of New York City. But his connections to wealthy and powerful individuals have fueled speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it concluded Epstein died by his own hand.

As a sign of how much this issue has troubled Trump and his fellow Republicans, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson abruptly announced on Tuesday that he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a congressional dispute over a vote on Epstein's files.

The decision has for now prevented pressure from Democrats and some Republicans to vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all documents related to Epstein.

Trump, hit and frustrated by the focus on the Epstein story, tried to shift attention to other topics, including unsubstantiated allegations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office condemned the allegations as "ridiculous."

More than two-thirds of Americans believe Trump's administration is hiding information about
Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.