David Shane, who previously served as a lawyer for Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, claimed that Attorney General Pam Bondy and others “exaggerated the hype” surrounding the Epstein Files.
In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Shane stated that there isn’t really a “client list” that links Epstein to various wealthy individuals. He pointed out, “If anyone believes there’s an actual list where Epstein wrote down names, you’d just be putting famous rich people next to young girls—it simply doesn’t exist.”
He also intimated that Bondy and other officials fueled unnecessary excitement about what the files could include, which ultimately didn’t match the actual content released.
Shane was careful to avoid placing blame on Trump for any exaggeration, saying he believed Trump had encouraged the Justice Department and FBI to release significant files they discovered, while others may have overly hyped their descriptions.
“President Trump was open to the concept that if there were undisclosed files, they should be made public. However, he had no idea what those files contained,” Shane mentioned.
“It seems that others, such as the Attorney General and FBI directors, might have jumped the gun a little. They wanted transparency for valid reasons, but they didn’t entirely understand what was available,” he added.
Shane noted, “When I examined what they had, it was stated that there was no ‘smoking gun,’ so there wasn’t anything to disclose. Now we’re seeing a sort of catch-up.”
The debate surrounding the Epstein Files has persisted for weeks, causing challenges for Trump and congressional Republicans.
Democrats have been trying to deepen the issue by urging committee actions to make more federal information regarding Epstein available.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was set to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Epstein currently incarcerated on sex trafficking charges. Trump remarked on Friday that he hadn’t considered a pardon for Maxwell.
Republicans in Congress appear divided on how to address the topic. Some are advocating for the release of all DOJ files on Epstein, while others are suggesting measures to limit transparency.
Shane isn’t the first to assert that the files were overhyped.
Republican strategist Carl Roeb commented on July 24 that “there will be serious consequences for those who excessively hype this narrative only to close the book on the case.”
Dan Bongino, a conservative commentator and former FBI agent, also pushed the notion that a file exists which indicates the government was shielding Epstein’s affluent associates.
Many prominent individuals, including Trump and former President Clinton, have been associated with Epstein, leading to years of conspiracy theories.
Earlier, Shane stated there was no client list and asserted that Trump was not implicated in Epstein’s activities.
He also mentioned to News Nation on June 16 that both Bondy and Trump were not concealing any client list.
On June 5, Shane tweeted, “I was hired nine days ago to lead Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal defense, having advised him for months prior. I can state plainly and unequivocally that he had no damaging information about President Trump.”
