White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on Monday about U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s February remarks that the Jeffrey Epstein list was “on her desk” amid new reporting that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concluded there was no evidence of an incriminating client list.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email on Monday for comment.
Who Was Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was a wealthy financier who died by suicide in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. At the time, Epstein was already a convicted sex offender after being found guilty by a Florida state court in 2008 of one count of soliciting prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He always denied any wrongdoing.
The DOJ released a report in June 2023 detailing the findings of its investigation into his death. The report concluded that Epstein “died by suicide on August 10, 2019, while in BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] custody” but still found “numerous and serious failures” by staff at Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York, where he was being held.
The report found that staff failed to ensure he was assigned a cellmate following an earlier incident that resulted in him being placed on suicide watch and to ensure security camera systems were fully functioning, resulting in limited recorded video evidence.
Staff also failed to “undertake required measures” to ensure Epstein and other inmates were accounted for, including not conducting searches of his cell or doing inmate counts after 4 p.m., according to the report. Two employees were charged with falsifying records for allegedly writing false count slips and round sheets that showed they were performed when they were not.
The New York Medical Examiner’s office ruled that his death was a suicide following its own investigation. Dr. Michael Baden, a private pathologist hired by Mark Epstein, has disputed this conclusion. Baden has pointed to a broken bone in Epstein’s neck that he says suggests his death was a homicide.
“Our investigation concluded that the cause of Mr. Epstein’s death was hanging and the manner of death was suicide. We stand by that determination,” New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said in a 2019 written statement.
She continued: “We continue to share information around the medical investigation with Mr. Epstein’s family, their representatives, and their pathology consultant. The original medical investigation was thorough and complete. There is no reason for a second medical investigation by our office.”
Epstein’s death foreclosed the possibility of a trial that might have revealed a potential client list and more details about his criminal network.
Was Jeffrey Epstein Affiliated With Donald Trump?
In a since-deleted social media post, tech billionaire Elon Musk said without evidence during his acrimonious fallout with President Donald Trump last month that the Epstein files had not been released because Trump was featured in them. The president has dismissed the claim, saying he “had nothing to do with it.”
Thousands of pages of records that named people with ties to Epstein have been released over the years. However, there is no evidence to suggest Trump is mentioned in any unreleased files related to Epstein. And while the president is mentioned in some of the previously released court documents on Epstein, he has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump had suggested he would release files related to Epstein, with a first batch of those files released in February by Bondi. Those files offered no major revelations about the sex trafficking case.
What To Know
Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Leavitt on Monday, in part, “The report says there’s no Epstein client list. So, what happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on her desk?”
Leavitt replied: “She was saying the entirety of all the paperwork in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes [was on her desk.] That’s what the attorney general was referring to, and I’ll let her speak for that. Again, when it comes to the FBI and Department of Justice, they are more than committed to make sure bad people are put behind bars.”
Q: The DOJ and FBI have now concluded there was no Jeffrey Epstein client list. What do you tell MAGA supporters who say they want anyone involved in Epstein’s crimes to be held accountable?
LEAVITT: This administration wants anyone who has ever committed a crime to be held… pic.twitter.com/CKGzoIgSkN
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 7, 2025
The DOJ acknowledged that Epstein did not maintain a “client list,” representing a public walk-back of a theory that the Trump administration had helped promote. This comes after Bondi suggested in a Fox News interview earlier this year that such a document was “sitting on my desk” in preparation for release.
The department released a two-page memo stating that no more files related to the wealthy financier’s sex trafficking investigation would be made public. Officials noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”
After the first document release in February, Bondi said officials were reviewing a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she claimed had been handed over by the FBI. In a March television interview, she accused the Biden administration of sitting on documents, adding: “Sadly these people don’t believe in transparency, but I think more unfortunately, I think a lot of them don’t believe in honesty.”
However, after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the DOJ determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department emphasized that perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither the goal of combating child exploitation nor bringing justice to victims.
Associated Press
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, commenting on Elon Musk’s claim, told NBC News in June: “That’s called ‘old news.’ That’s been old news. That has been talked about for years. Even Epstein’s lawyer said I had nothing to do with it. It’s old news.”
Conservative activist Robby Starbuck wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday: “Pam Bondi said the Epstein client list was on her desk to review for release to the public just a few months ago. Now the DOJ she leads claims that there’s no Epstein client list. Sorry but this is unacceptable. Was she lying then or is she lying now? We deserve answers.”
“Republicans against Trump” X account wrote on Sunday: “Attorney General Pam Bondi In February: Jeffrey Epstein’s client list is sitting on my desk right now to review. Today, Axios reports the DOJ concluded Epstein didn’t keep a client list. So…was she reviewing imaginary files?”
Savanah Hernandez, a Turning Point USA contributor, wrote on X on Sunday: “Why did Pam Bondi get in front of the entire nation and say she had the Epstein client list on her desk? She should step down as Attorney General for lying to the American public.”
Elon Musk reposted a message on X on Monday from Sarah Fields, a Republican state delegate, following the announcement: “If the entire government is protecting pedophiles, it has officially become the government against the people. I hope you all understand that.”
What Happens Next?
The DOJ’s definitive statement appears to close the door on further Epstein document releases, despite continued pressure from conservative influencers and conspiracy theorists.
Bondi has yet to provide a detailed response to the contradiction between her earlier statements and the department’s current position.
Update 7/7/25, 3:19 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
