US President Donald Trump’s nominee for Attorney General, Pam BondiConvicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has called for the names in the case files to be released. Bondi said those seeking to withhold their identities in Epstein’s case have “no legal basis” to do so.
Epstein, an American financier linked to numerous high-profile figures, died by suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
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The extent of involvement of these individuals in the case remains unclear.
Speaking in a Fox News interview, Bondi questioned the silence of Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Justice Department on the matter.
“I want to know why AG Garland and the Justice Department are so quiet tonight. You know, they’re labeling parents as domestic terrorists, yet they’re not saying anything about it,” Bondi said.
Bondi expressed frustration at the delay in releasing relevant documents and emphasized the significant scope of human trafficking in the US.
“These documents were very slow to come out. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar business in this country. And Jeffrey Epstein is dead And Ghislaine Maxwell has been in prison for 20 years where she is,” she said.
She argued that individuals named in the report had no legal grounds to keep their identities private unless they were cooperating with defendants in a potential case against children, victims or convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The 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 by some chance a co-defendant in a potential case against Ghislaine Maxwell. And I think that Mark Geragos, a great criminal defense attorney, would also endorse,” she added.
Epstein was first arrested in Florida in 2005 for allegedly paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. Several other minor girls later alleged similar abuse. However, in 2008, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge involving a victim and served 13 months in prison under a work-release program.
Despite his conviction, Epstein continued to associate with the wealthy and influential, 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.
After Epstein’s death, his ex-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 expect challenges if the documents are unsealed, as the individuals named could claim privacy rights or argue that their identities are irrelevant to the case. This can result in protracted legal disputes.