By Hannah Rabinowitz, CNN
After months of touting the impending release of new, blockbuster information on accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department announced in a memo Monday that there is no evidence he kept a “client list” or was murdered.
The Justice Department also does not plan to release any new documents in the matter, it said Monday.
The admission reneges on promises from President Donald Trump, who previously spoke about releasing more governmental files on the disgraced financier, as well as go against years of conspiracy theories pushed by the right wing.
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list,’” the unsigned memo states. “There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
Axios was first to report details of the DOJ and FBI’s decision.
(New York State Sex Offender Registry/AP/File via CNN Newsource)
The department has also released 10 hours of jailhouse security footage that shows no one entered Epstein’s jail cell on the day he died by suicide.
Right-wing media figures have, for years, suggested that the government is hiding secrets relating to Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Some of those individuals breathlessly pushed the theory that Epstein kept a “client list” as blackmail against powerful figures who he helped commit similar crimes.
After being confirmed as attorney general earlier this year, Pam Bondi quickly embraced those theories, saying in a February interview on Fox News that a client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review.”
She continued, “that’s been a directive by President Trump. I’m reviewing that.”
Soon after, in conjunction with the White House, the Justice Department released a series of documents related to the Epstein investigation – almost all of which were already available in the public domain. The administration even invited influencers to get a “scoop” on the documents at the White House, and photos from the day show those influencers walking out of the White House with white binders labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1.”
Bondi promised more information would be coming, and FBI agents – many of whom were assigned to work on national security matters – were ordered to work around the clock in a frantic effort to review documents and other evidence for public release. But soon the department stopped mentioning the release, much to the chagrin of supporters who inundated the DOJ and FBI’s social media with demands for new information.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both of whom publicly questioned the investigation before being tapped for their roles, even started mentioning in interviews that there was no evidence Epstein was murdered. Bongino in May said the jailhouse video, now posted online, is “clear as day.”
“Consistent with prior disclosures, this review confirmed that Epstein harmed over one thousand victims,” Monday’s memo states. “Each suffered unique trauma. Sensitive information relating to these victims is intertwined throughout the materials. This includes specific details such as victim names and likenesses, physical descriptions, places of birth, associates, and employment history.”
“One of our highest priorities is combatting child exploitation and bringing justice to victims. Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends,” it adds.
“To that end, while we have labored to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”
Musk reacts
Reports of the announcement were immediately met with outrage online, most notably from Trump’s erstwhile ally Elon Musk, who posted an image of a zeroed-out scoreboard titled “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter.”
“What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again,” Musk wrote in the post on X.
Six weeks ago, Musk claimed on X that “@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files,” later posting a video of Trump at a party with Epstein with a raised eyebrow emoji. The since-deleted posts were a part of one of Trump and Musk’s feuds regarding Trump’s recent tax and domestic policy bill.
Other right-wing figures blasted the announcement too. One such activist, Jack Posobiec, wrote on X, referring to Epstein’s associate convicted of charges related to Epstein’s sex-trafficking, “If there were no clients, why is Ghislaine Maxwell still in jail?”
Another, Robby Starbuck, said of Bondi’s previous comments on a client list: “Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers.”
Emma Canan contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
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