This article may contain commentary
which reflects the author’s opinion.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that the Justice Department will release all unclassified records connected to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days of President Donald Trump signing new disclosure legislation.
Earlier in the day, the Senate formally transmitted the bill to Trump after voting Tuesday night to automatically approve it upon arrival from the House. The House passed the measure Tuesday in a 427–1 vote.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act — which Trump has signaled he will sign — Bondi must disclose all documents, including internal communications and investigative materials, related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of the law taking effect.
In 2019, Epstein reportedly committed suicide while in federal custody, as he awaited trial for charges connected to the sex trafficking of minors. Maxwell, having been found guilty of sex trafficking and related offenses, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
“We will follow the law,” Bondi told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday. “The law passed both chambers last evening. It has not yet been signed, but we will continue to follow the law again while protecting victims but also providing maximum transparency.”
The bill permits Bondi to redact records in certain situations, such as when documents “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.”
Recently, Bondi instructed Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to look into Epstein’s alleged connections to prominent Democrats and significant financial institutions.
In July, the DOJ and FBI released a memo indicating they found no evidence that Epstein blackmailed influential individuals, maintained a “client list,” or was murdered. The memo also clarified that no additional charges would be brought against anyone else involved in the Epstein case.
Bondi was asked what had changed, given the new investigation launched by the Southern District of New York.
“Information that has come forward,” she said. “There’s new information, additional information. And again, we will continue to follow the law to investigate any leads. If there are any victims, we encourage all victims to come forward.
“And we will continue to provide maximum transparency under the law,” she added.
When asked to clarify what constituted the “new information,” Bondi declined to provide details and instead pointed reporters to “a post on X” from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche.
She said the department would not offer additional comment, citing the fact that the issue is now the subject of an active investigation.
The AG did not specify which post by Blanche she was referring. But, on Nov. 13 Blanche wrote on X: “When I interviewed Maxwell [in July], law enforcement didn’t have the materials Epstein’s estate hid for years and only just provided to Congress.”
President Donald Trump on Tuesday celebrated congressional passage of the bipartisan bill forcing the release of the long-sealed Epstein files, reaffirming he intends to sign the measure while declaring victory for what he called a “Great Big Beautiful Bill” that caps a wave of Republican wins.
“I don’t care when the Senate passes the House Bill, whether tonight, or at some other time in the near future, I just don’t want Republicans to take their eyes off all of the Victories that we’ve had,” Trump said in a statement posted to Truth Social.
“Closed Borders, No Men in Women’s Sports, ending DEI, stopping Biden’s record-setting inflation, the biggest tax and regulation cuts in history, stopping eight wars, rebuilding our military, being respected by every country in the world … and even delivering a huge defeat to the Democrats on the shutdown. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added in a Truth Social post.
The president’s remarks came shortly before the Senate voted to approve the bill compelling the Justice Department to release all non-classified materials related to Epstein within 30 days, including investigative files, correspondence, and evidence logs.
