Trump was informed by Pam Bondi's DOJ that his name is in the Epstein files: Report
Trump was told by Pam Bondi’s DOJ in May that his name appears in the Jeffrey Epstein files, per a Wall Street Journal report citing Trump officials.
President Donald Trump was informed by the Department of Justice, headed by Pam Bondi, back in May, that his name is in the Jeffrey Epstein files, a report by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday claims citing officials in the Trump administration.
The report, coming after the explosive revelation of Trump's alleged "bawdy" letter to Epstein on the latter's 50th birthday, states citing “senior officials” in the Trump administration, that Attorney General Pam Bondi told Trump in May at a White House meeting that his name appeared "multiple times" in the documents on the Epstein files that the DOJ reviewed.
The officials cited in the report said that it was a "routine briefing" at the White House, and the issue of Trump's name being in the Epstein files was not the primary agenda of the meeting. Apart from Trump, several other high-profile names in US politics reportedly also appeared in the files.
"They told the president at the meeting that the files contained what officials felt was unverified hearsay about many people, including Trump, who had socialized with Epstein in the past," the report states, adding that an official familiar with the documents said at the meeting that "they contain hundreds of other names."
As per the WSJ report, AG Bondi and other DOJ officials revealed at the May meeting itself that no further revelations related to the Epstein files will take place, "because the material contained child pornography and victims’ personal information."
Trump vs WSJ on Epstein: The story so far
The Jeffrey Epstein row returned to national headlines following the release of the DOJ's memo on July 6 that said no further disclosures on the issue will take place. It sparked backlash, especially among a section of Donald Trump's MAGA group. Amid that, the Wall Street Journal published a report on July 17 that contained a letter by Trump to Epstein on his 50th birthday, in 2003.
Also read: Who is Robin L Rosenberg? Florida judge denies DOJ's request to unseal Epstein's grand jury files
The letter, described as "bawdy" by the WSJ, contained a typewritten birthday wish for Epstein, allegedly from the POTUS. The text was placed inside the figure of a naked woman, with Trump's signature as the figure's pubic hair.
Trump, who dismissed the report as "fake news," sued the Wall Street Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, for the allegedly defamatory report. On July 18, he filed a federal defamation lawsuit in Miami against the Journal, its parent companies Dow Jones and News Corp, Murdoch, and two WSJ reporters.
He’s seeking at least $10 billion in damages.
