Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who serves as a ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently informed Attorney General Pam Bondi that about 1,000 FBI employees have been tasked with reviewing a vast number of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, particularly noting references to President Trump.
In a series of letters sent to Bondi on Friday, Durbin made some serious allegations. He mentioned that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino sought further information on how files involving Epstein were processed and questioned the focus on documents that might link to him.
According to Durbin, Bondi had instructed the FBI to allocate around 1,000 personnel to handle this information management task, based on feedback received in his office.
He stated that his office learned that these FBI officials had been directed to highlight records where President Trump was mentioned.
Durbin pointed out that in 2002, Trump had known Epstein for 15 years, describing him as “a great guy” and sharing that spending time with him was enjoyable.
Moreover, senior Democrats referenced a report from the Wall Street Journal, which indicated that Trump had sent a somewhat ambiguous letter to Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, pertaining to a birthday album collected for Epstein in 2003.
Durbin highlighted that part of Trump’s letter included phrases typed around a hand-drawn image of a naked woman, which allegedly employed thick markers.
He questioned Bondi, Patel, and Bongino about whether they had personally reviewed all Department of Justice files relating to Epstein, or if there were additional records that had not been examined.
Durbin also posed inquiries about why FBI personnel had been instructed to note and flag those records pertaining to Trump.
He asked, “Are there any logs of records that mention President Trump? If such records exist, please send a copy to our committee and the OIG.”
Additionally, he sought clarification regarding Bondi’s comments during a Fox News interview, where she suggested that a list of Epstein’s clients was ready for review on her desk.
The statement from the DOJ and the FBI indicated that a “systematic review” of Epstein-related files had not uncovered any “client list.”
Durbin contended that Bondi’s claims about the existence of consistent lists were, in fact, contradictory.
He recalled that Bondi had mentioned another instance on Fox News in which a whistleblower claimed that a significant stack of documents related to Epstein was being held by a US law firm in the Southern District of New York.
Now, he’s curious whether this client list truly doesn’t exist and what Bondi meant about the document “sitting” on her desk.
He also inquired about the potential existence of thousands of other records with the US lawyers in the Southern District of New York and whether this information had been communicated to Congress or the DOJ’s Inspector General’s Office.
Furthermore, Durbin asked why nearly 1,000 FBI staff members were assigned to 24-hour shifts in March to sift through Epstein-related documents and why a large number were taken from the FBI’s New York Field office.
The letters raised further doubts about claims from federal authorities regarding Epstein’s death being ruled a suicide, emphasizing that “completely raw” video footage from the Special Housing Unit’s common area was supposedly supportive of this conclusion.
Durbin expressed that public skepticism about transparency from the government has intensified, particularly following the release of surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s cell, suggesting that the video’s metadata might imply it had been altered.
He requested that Bondi, Patel, and Bongino provide thorough explanations of any modifications made to the “full live” surveillance footage before it was publicly shared.
Durbin has prompted these officials to respond by August 1st, emphasizing the need for prompt attention to this issue in order to clarify the truth and ensure that the actions of the administration do not lead to further complications.
