The deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not maintain a “client list,” the US Justice Department said on Monday (July 7), adding that no more files on the sex trafficking investigation would be made public. Many had expected the release of another set of “Epstein Files” after the first batch of documents earlier this year. One reason was Attorney General Pam Bondi's comments about the files. As a result, the latest official announcement has led to her criticism, including from conservative commentators. Here is what to know. First, who was Jeffrey Epstein? Epstein, 66, was accused of sexually abusing scores of women and underage girls, and using some of his victims to further introduce more girls to him. He was given a favourable 18-month sentence in 2008 and arrested again on July 6, 2019. He was found dead in his jail cell in New York in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges. He donated large sums of his wealth to a variety of sectors, including science research, which made him acceptable in high society despite the allegations he faced. For example, Harvard University clarified that it received $9.1 million in gifts from Epstein between 1998 and 2008 for research and faculty activities, and that no gifts were received following his conviction in 2008. Based in New York, Epstein taught maths and physics at the private Dalton School in the mid-1970s. A BBC report said that the father of one of his students is said to have been so impressed that he put Epstein in touch with a senior partner at the Wall Street investment bank Bear Stearns. Soon, he became a partner and later created his own firm, J Epstein and Co. “Epstein soon began spending his fortune — including on a mansion in Florida, a ranch in New Mexico, and reputedly the largest private home in New York — and socialising with celebrities, artists and politicians,” the BBC report said. In 2002, then-businessman and current US President Donald Trump said of him, “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it — Jeffrey enjoys his social life.” What are the Epstein files? It refers to the documents related to the criminal cases against Epstein. His death was followed by conspiracy theories of a murder to protect the names of his influential associates from coming out. These have persisted to date, despite several official statements. In November 2019, for instance, then-Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press that he had reviewed security footage that revealed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died. A set of files was released earlier this year, which included victim testimonies and mentions of associates, such as former US President Bill Clinton and singer Michael Jackson. However, this was before his conviction, and none of those men were accused of wrongdoing. The release ultimately did not reveal significantly more than what was already known. Given that many in Trump's support base often express mistrust towards the establishment, and high-flying, well-connected figures like Epstein, the (lack of) revelations further fuelled their criticism. In recent weeks, Bondi had suggested more material was going to be revealed — “It’s a new administration and everything is going to come out to the public,” she said. During a February 21 interview on Fox News, she was asked if a “list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients” would be released. “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by President Trump. I’m reviewing that,” she replied. Billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who has gone from a Trump aide to critic in a matter of months, shared a series of photos of a clown applying makeup, appearing to mock Bondi. Right after the Musk-Trump falling out in June, Musk also alleged in a social media post that the Epstein Files were not released, as Trump was mentioned in them. However, he later deleted the post. Since then, Trump has threatened to deport Musk to South Africa over his criticism of the government. Musk again shared posts about the files this week. So what has happened now? White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Justice Department spokesperson Chad Gilmartin said Monday that Bondi was referring to the overall Epstein case files. These include evidence in the form of “images and videos of victims who are either minors or appear to be minors,” and more than 10,000 “downloaded videos and images of illegal child sex abuse material and other pornography.” After a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department has determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims and “only a fraction would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.” “One of our highest priorities is combating child exploitation and bringing justice to victims,” the DoJ memo says. “Perpetuating unfounded theories about Epstein serves neither of those ends.” (With Associated Press inputs)
