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US Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Donald Trump in May that his name was included in the investigation into financier Jeffrey Epstein, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources.
According to the publication, Bondi informed Trump that his name, along with “many other prominent individuals,” was mentioned in Justice Department documents related to the child sex trafficking case in which Epstein was accused. Epstein committed suicide in 2019 while in custody.
As Reuters reports, the White House initially denied the publication, calling it "fake." However, an administration spokesman later said that the authorities did not deny the presence of references to Trump in the case materials, noting that some of this information had previously become public knowledge, in particular, in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years for creating a network for the sexual exploitation of minors.
Reuters emphasizes that it was unable to independently confirm the information published by WSJ.
Donald Trump's name has previously appeared in a number of public documents, including Epstein's flight logs from the 1990s and his address book. During Maxwell's trial, Epstein's pilot testified under oath that Trump had flown on the plane several times. The former president himself claims that he cut off all contact with Epstein long before the investigation began and denies any allegations.
The release of the so-called “Epstein files” has provoked a mixed reaction among Trump’s own supporters. The MAGA movement, which has previously been active in spreading conspiracy theories about an alleged international sex trafficking ring, has reacted sharply to the administration’s refusal to release all of the materials, despite the former president’s campaign promises.
The Justice Department had previously said there was no basis to continue the investigation. However, under public pressure, Trump ordered efforts to partially release the documents. One of the corresponding subpoenas has already been rejected, but Congress continues to insist on full release.
The House Oversight Subcommittee voted yesterday to require the Justice Department to provide a full package of documents on the Epstein case. The initiative was supported not only by Democrats, but also by a number of Republicans.
