WASHINGTON, D.C. — Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to distribute “Epstein Files” binders to far-right influencers without informing the White House in advance has caused tensions within the Trump administration, according to an ABC News report published Tuesday.
“Attorney General Pam Bondi and her team did not inform White House officials in advance that she planned to distribute the binders, which contained almost no new information regarding convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein — and now the move has ruffled feathers among those closest to President Donald Trump, including his senior White House staff, sources tell ABC News,” reported journalists Will Steakin, Katherine Faulders, and Alexander Mallin.
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“White House staff moved quickly to try and contain the fallout, privately reaching out to influencers who were critical of Bondi and the move online, according to sources.” According to the report, Bondi had expected her move to be welcomed by the Trump administration. Instead, it not only caused internal frustration but also divided far-right influencers, many of whom accused Bondi of orchestrating a public relations stunt while withholding the critical information they had hoped to receive.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pushed back against these claims, telling ABC News, “Everyone is working together as one unified team at the direction of President Trump. Any notion to the contrary is completely false.”
Trump himself had previously ordered the release of any undisclosed Epstein-related information weeks before Bondi’s event, raising questions about why the files distributed contained so little new material.
Among those who were deeply dissatisfied with the release was Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who took to X to voice her frustration, stating, “I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!”
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The Epstein case has remained a subject of intense scrutiny and conspiracy theories for years. Epstein, known for hosting illicit gatherings that reportedly involved powerful individuals, was first prosecuted in the late 2000s but received a controversial plea deal that shielded him from severe punishment.
He was later arrested again over a decade later, but before standing trial, he was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell, with the official cause ruled as suicide. However, his death has fueled widespread speculation, with some believing—despite a lack of evidence—that he was murdered to protect influential figures allegedly connected to his crimes.
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