US President Donald Trump‘s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, has called for the release of names in the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein case files. Bondi said that those seeking to keep their identities hidden in Epstein’s case have “no legal basis” to do so.
Epstein, an American financier linked to numerous high-profile individuals, died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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The extent of these individuals’ involvement in the case remains unclear.
Speaking in a Fox News interview, Bondi questioned attorney general Merrick Garland and the Justice department’s silence on the matter.
“I want to know why AG Garland and the Justice Department are so quiet on this tonight. You know, they’re out there labeling parents domestic terrorists, yet they’re saying nothing about this,” Bondi said.
Bondi expressed frustration over delays in releasing related documents and stressed the significant scope of human trafficking in the US.
“These documents were so slow to come out. Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar business in this country. And Jeffrey Epstein is dead. And Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison for 20 years where she belongs,” she said.
She argued that individuals named in the report have no legal grounds to keep their identities private unless they are children, victims, or cooperating defendants in a potential case against convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
“People in that report are still fighting to keep their names private, Sean. They have no legal basis to do so unless they’re a child, a victim, or a cooperating defendant by some chance against some potential case against Ghislaine Maxwell. And I think Mark Geragos, a great criminal defense attorney, will back that up as well,” she added.
Epstein was first arrested in Florida in 2005, accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. Many other underage girls later alleged similar abuse. However, in 2008, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge involving one victim and served 13 months in jail under a work-release program.
Despite his conviction, Epstein continued to mingle with wealthy and influential figures, often through charitable endeavors, for another decade.
The scandal resurfaced after a Miami Herald investigation, prompting federal prosecutors in New York to charge Epstein with sex trafficking in 2019.
Following Epstein’s death, his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was prosecuted for her role in recruiting underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Legal experts anticipate challenges if the documents are unsealed, as individuals named could claim privacy rights or argue their identities are irrelevant to the case. This could result in prolonged legal disputes.