Weeks after Pam Bondi claimed federal officials were reviewing “tens of thousands” of videos of Jeffrey Epstein with children, as part of the notorious Epstein files, it remains unclear what exactly the Attorney General was referring to.
In May, Bondi attributed delays in releasing the next batch of documents in the government’s investigation into Epstein to FBI agents spending time reviewing thousands of videos that featured the late disgraced financier “with children or child porn.”
Bondi was under pressure from the public, including a number of high-profile conservative influencers, to release the information that President Donald Trump promised during his campaign after a disappointing first drop.
But, court documents in the government’s case against Epstein, as well as the case against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, make no mention of a trove of videos featuring Epstein with underage people, according to those with knowledge of the proceedings.
A lawyer who represented Epstein, as well as a lawyer who represented Maxwell, told the Associated Press they had no memory of such evidence, though they could not rule out its existence entirely.
“I don’t recall personally ever having that kind of discussion,” Marc Fernich, a lawyer who represented Epstein before his death, told AP. “It’s not something I ever heard about.”
Jeffrey Pagliuca, a lawyer who represented Maxwell, told AP that they “were never provided with any of those materials.”
“I suspect if they existed, we would have seen them, and I’ve never seen them, so I have no idea what she’s talking about,” Pagliuca said.
Even FBI Director Kash Patel appeared to minimize the existence of such blatantly incriminating videos last month while speaking with podcast host Joe Rogan.
“If there was a video of some guy, or gal, committing felonies on an island and I’m in charge, don’t you think you’d see it?” Patel said.
While Patel did not clearly state that the videos did not exist, he did agree that the “narrative” about such videos of Epstein committing crimes may not be “accurate.”
The Independent has asked the Department of Justice for comment.
The videos Bondi referenced may exist and just have remained shrouded from the public or the government’s case against Epstein and Maxwell.
One civil case, brought by Jane Doe against J.P. Morgan Chase, reviewed by AP, could offer a clue.
The court filing says Epstein’s estate was revealed to have located an unspecified number of videos and photos that it said might contain child sex abuse material. But even that remains shrouded in secrecy with lawyers involved in that civil case saying a protective order prevents them from discussing it.
The filing suggests a discovery of recordings after the criminal cases had concluded, but if that’s what Bondi was referencing, the Justice Department has not said.
The Trump administration has yet to release the next batch of documents in the government’s investigation into Epstein. It’s unclear when they may do that.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
