Takeaways from AP's report on Attorney General Bondi's comments about evidence in Epstein case

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Pam Bondi's caller comments astir grounds the Justice Department is reviewing from its Jeffrey Epstein enactment trafficking probe has fueled anticipation astir the expected merchandise of much files related to the affluent financier.

But weeks aft Bondi's assertion astir “tens of thousands” of Epstein videos successful the government's possession, it remains unclear what she was referring to.

Here's a look astatine immoderate of the takeaways from an Associated Press study astir the Epstein case and Bondi's caller remarks:

Who are Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell?

A New York financier with ties to politicians and different celebrated and almighty people, Epstein was arrested successful 2019 arsenic helium arrived successful the U.S. from Paris aboard his backstage pitchy and charged with sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls during the aboriginal 2000s.

The lawsuit was brought much than a decennary aft a concealed plea woody with national prosecutors successful Florida disposed of astir identical allegations.

Weeks aft his arrest, Epstein took his ain life wrong a high-security portion astatine a New York jail. Since then, Epstein’s crimes, high-profile connections and decease person made him a taxable of nationalist fascination, aggravated media scrutiny and conspiracy theories.

Maxwell, Epstein’s British socialite girlfriend, was separately charged and aboriginal convicted of helping Epstein sexually maltreatment underage girls. Many of the scores of women who accused Epstein of abusing them person characterized Maxwell arsenic the madam who recruited them.

Maxwell, who laid blasted for the maltreatment connected Epstein, was sentenced successful 2022 to 20 years successful prison.

A hidden camera and reporters astatine the White House

Bondi archetypal mentioned the videos successful April erstwhile she was approached successful a edifice by a pistillate with a hidden camera who asked astir the presumption of the merchandise of the Epstein files. Bondi replied determination were tens of thousands of videos “and it’s each with small kids truthful they person to spell done each one,” referring to the FBI.

Then successful May, aft conservative activistic James O’Keefe — who obtained and aboriginal publicized the hidden camera video — alerted the Justice Department property bureau to the encounter, Bondi appeared astatine the White House, wherever she said: “There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children oregon kid porn.”

The comments tapped into long-held suspicions and theories that, contempt the merchandise implicit the years of thousands of records documenting his activities, embarrassing and incriminating details astir him oregon different almighty figures stay suppressed by the government. Her statements appeared meant to explicate the hold successful releasing much files, adjacent though the authorities would presumably ne'er merchandise footage depicting children.

What the AP recovered done its reporting

The Associated Press spoke with lawyers and instrumentality enforcement officials successful transgression and civilian cases concerning Epstein and Maxwell who said they had not seen and did not cognize of a trove of recordings similar what Bondi described.

Indictments and detention memos successful the cases bash not notation sexually suggestive videos, and neither was charged with possession of kid intersexual maltreatment worldly adjacent though that discourtesy would person been easier for prosecutors to beryllium than the enactment trafficking counts they faced.

An AP reappraisal of hundreds of tribunal documents successful the lawsuit recovered non-specific mentions of the beingness of video grounds but nary references to tens of thousands of recordings showing Epstein with children oregon kid enactment maltreatment material.

FBI Director Kash Patel, who has refuted conspiracy theories that Epstein was murdered, did not beforehand the proposition of thousands of recordings with Epstein during a caller interrogation connected Joe Rogan’s podcast.

Though not asked explicitly astir Bondi’s comments, helium dismissed the anticipation of incriminating videos involving almighty Epstein friends, saying “If determination was a video of immoderate feline oregon gal committing felonies connected an land and I’m successful charge, don’t you deliberation you’d spot it?” Asked whether the communicative “might not beryllium close that there’s video of these guys doing this,” Patel replied, “Exactly.”

One imaginable clue, however, whitethorn prevarication successful a little-noticed 2023 tribunal filing — among the documents the AP reviewed — successful which Epstein’s property was revealed to person located an unspecified fig of videos and photos that it said mightiness incorporate kid enactment maltreatment material. Even that remains shrouded successful secrecy with lawyers progressive successful that civilian lawsuit saying they are bound by a protective bid and cannot sermon it.

The justice ordered representatives of Epstein’s property to reappraisal the contented earlier handing thing implicit to the lawyers and alert the FBI if the property recovered thing that could beryllium considered kid intersexual maltreatment imagery.

The section declined repeated requests from the AP to talk with officials overseeing the Epstein review.

What are the stakes for Bondi?

Bondi's statements substance due to the fact that she's already facing aggravated unit from conservatives to beryllium the authorities has successful its possession antecedently unseen compelling grounds aft an earlier papers dump she hyped failed to fulfill online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of President Donald Trump’s base.

During a Fox News Channel interrogation successful February, Bondi said an alleged Epstein “client list” was sitting connected her table for review. The adjacent day, the Justice Department distributed binders marked “declassified” to far-right influencers astatine the White House, but it aboriginal became wide overmuch of the accusation had been successful the nationalist domain for years. No “client list” was disclosed, and there’s nary grounds specified a papers exists.

The flop near conservatives fuming and did small to tamp down conspiracy theories that for years person spiraled astir the financier’s lawsuit acknowledgment to his ties to politicians and different celebrated and almighty people. Right wing-personality Laura Loomer called connected Bondi to resign, branding her a “total liar,” portion blimpish ineligible radical Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department to effort to get much Epstein records.

Afterward, Bondi said a “source” successful the FBI’s New York tract bureau informed her that thousands of pages of antecedently undisclosed documents beryllium and ordered the bureau to supply the “full and implicit Epstein files,” including each “records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials” concerning Epstein and his clients. Employees person logged hours reviewing records to hole them for release. It’s unclear erstwhile that mightiness happen.

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