Democrats Challenge Pam Bondi on Trump's Possible Epstein Investigation
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing intense scrutiny from Democrats regarding the Justice Department's decision to withhold documents that may pertain to an FBI investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against President Donald Trump from decades past.
In a response to mounting public pressure, the Justice Department announced on Wednesday that it is “currently reviewing” whether to include these documents in its public database related to the investigation of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
This week, the department maintained that the withheld materials were either duplicative, protected by attorney-client privilege, or part of an ongoing federal investigation. However, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), who leads the House Oversight Committee's Democratic members, argues that the missing FBI forms detailing interviews with a woman alleging Trump sexually abused her as a minor do not fall under any of these categories.
“The only option that they have left is that President Trump is under a federal investigation,” Garcia stated in an interview on Tuesday, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
In a letter directed to Bondi, Garcia claimed he independently verified the existence of the withheld FBI files by examining unredacted documents available to Congress members. He cautioned against using a superficial investigation as a cover to keep Epstein-related materials hidden from public view.
“Alternatively, and even more seriously, if DOJ is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse leveled against President Trump by an Epstein survivor, Congress and the American people have a right to know, immediately,” Garcia asserted in his correspondence.
The inquiry into the FBI forms was initially sparked by independent journalist Roger Sollenberger, who noted serial numbers indicating their presence on a list of “Non-Testifying Witness Material” related to the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's associate. This list implies that the FBI conducted multiple interviews with an Epstein victim who also accused Trump of abuse in the 1980s; however, only one interview summary is publicly available in the department's Epstein Library. The story gained traction after being reported by various news outlets.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department acknowledged the concerns surrounding potentially missing documents in a social media statement.
“Several individuals and news outlets have recently flagged files related to documents produced to Ghislaine Maxwell in discovery of her criminal case that they claim appear to be missing,” the statement read. “As with all documents that have been flagged by the public, the Department is currently reviewing files within that category of the production. Should any document be found to have been improperly tagged in the review process and is responsive to the Act, the Department will of course publish it, consistent with the law.”
An attorney representing Maxwell did not respond when asked if he possessed the documents in question.
Among the limited information available, one summary from an FBI interview describes how Epstein recruited a young girl to serve as a “babysitter” at a vacation property in South Carolina during her early teens. Conducted in 2019 as part of the government’s sex trafficking case against Epstein, this interview does not mention any misconduct involving Trump.
However, details provided by this woman align with those from another FBI source who recounted a disturbing incident involving Trump forcing her into a sexual act and violently assaulting her in the early 1980s. Democrats contend that additional FBI forms may shed light on this particular incident.
