Latest / The Vault: The Epstein Files / Mega Edition: Transcripts From Pam Bondi's Epstein Related Trip To Congress (Part 1-4) (8/8/26)

Transcript

Mega Edition: Transcripts From Pam Bondi's Epstein Related Trip To Congress (Part 1-4) (8/8/26) · The Vault: The Epstein Files

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up everyone, and welcome to another episode of the
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: Epstein Chronicles. So the Pam Bondie transcript has been released,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and in this episode we're going to begin taking a
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: look at what she had to say about her part
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: in the ongoing Epstein cover up. Mister Emmer, we will
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: go on the record. This is a transcribed interview of
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: former Attorney General Pamela Jay Bondi, conducted by the House
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform under the authority granted
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: in pursuant to the House Rule X. According to the
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: House Rule X grants the Committee broad jurisdiction for the
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Committee to conduct investigations of any matter at any time.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: This interview was requested by Chairman James Comer as part
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: of the Committee's investigation into the circumstances and subsequent investigations
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: into the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein and Glenn Maxwell, the
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: operation of sex trafficking rings and the ways for the
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: federal government to effectively combat them, the ways in which
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: mister Epstein and miss Maxwell sought to curry favor and
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: exercise influence to protect their legal activity, and a potential
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: violation of ethics rules related to elected officials. Can the
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: witness please state her name and spell her last name
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: for the record. Bondi sure, Pamela Bondi bo and du
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: Y Emmer thank you. My name is Jack Emmer and
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: I'm the Chief of Council for Investigation for Chairman James Gomer.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: Under the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform rules, you're
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: allowed to have one Council President to advise you during
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: the interview. Do you have counsel representing you in a
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: personal capacity present with you today? BONDI only as my
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: when I was Attorney General for the United States, and
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: that's har Meat Dylan another winner, another absolute moron, har
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Meat Dylan Emmer. Will counsel please identify themselves for the record. Dylan. Yes,
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: I'm Harmeat Dylon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: and I'm here on behalf of the United States Department
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: of Justice, as the former Attorney General was subpoenaed and
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: disappearing here voluntarily in her official capacity only, and accordingly,
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: I'm here to represent the interest of the DOJ and
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: its interest in effectuating the Transparency Act, and solely to
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: be here on behalf of the DOJ. I'm also accompanied
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: by one of my colleagues, and he'll state his appearance
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: as well. Mister Ginn, I'm Jonathan Ginn, Deputy Assistant Attorney
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: General for Civil Division, and I'm here appearing in the
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: same capacity as Miss Dylan. Mister Emmer, we have members
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: of Congress here with us today. For the records, starting
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: with the Chairman, can members please identify themselves for the record?
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: James Comer, Chairman Kentucky, Mister Garcia, Ranking Member Robert Garcia,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: Congressman Sue has Submerennium, Yasimin and sorry, James Walkinshaw, Maxwell Frost,
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: Melanie Stansbury, mister Emmer for the records, Starting with the
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: Majority staff, Can the additional staff members please introduce themselves
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: with their name, title and affiliation. Billy Grant, Deputy Chief
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: Council for Investigations, Chairman Comer, Daniel Ashworth, General Counsel for
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Chairman Comber, Ryan Gaketty, Chief Council Chairman Comer, Ellison Tolan,
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Council for Chairman Comber, and the list goes on. We're
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: going to pick back up with the conversation though, mister Emmer,
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: thank you all. Attorney General BONDI, before we begin, I
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: would like to go over the ground rules for the
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: transcribed interview. The questioning will proceed in rounds. The majority
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: will ask questions for up to an hour, and then
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: the minority will have an opportunity to ask questions for
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: an hour if they choose to the extent. Members have
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: questions for the witness, they'll be propounded during their sides
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: respective rounds. The clock will stop if you need to
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: confer with counsel. Your counsel speaking, and when members of
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: staff are speaking during the opposing side rounds of questions,
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: we will alternate back and forth until there's no more questions.
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: Do you understand BONDI yeah, Emmer. There's court reporter taking
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: down everything I say and everything you say to make
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: a written record of the interview. For the record to
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: be clear, please wait until the staff for questioning you
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: finishes each question before you begin your answer, and the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: staffer will wait until you finish your response before proceeding
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: to the next question. Further, to ensure that the court
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: reporter can properly record this transcribed interview, please speak clearly, concisely,
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: and slowly. Also, the court reporter cannot record nonverbal answers
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: such as nodding or shaking your head, so it's important
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: that you answer each question with an audible verbal answer.
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: Do you understand BONDI? Yeah? Emmer exhibits may be entered
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: into the record. Majority exhibits will be identified numerically, Minority
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: exhibits will be identified alphabetically. We want you to answer
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: our questions in the most complete and truthful manner possible,
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: so we will take our time. If you have any
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: questions or do not fully understand the question, please let
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: us know. We will attempt to clarify, add context to,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: or rephrase our questions. If we ask about specific conversations
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: or events in the past and you're unable to recall
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: the exact words or details, you should testify to the
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: substance of those conversations or events to the best of
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: your recollection. If you recall only part of the conversation
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: or event, you should give us your best recollection of
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: those events or parts of conversations that you do recall.
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: Do you understand BONDI yes? Question. Although you're here voluntarily,
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: you're acquired by law pursuant the Title eighteen of the
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: United States Code, Section one thousand and one to answer
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: questions from Congress truthfully This also applies to questions posed
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: by Congressional staff in the interview do you understand Bondy yes? Question?
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: If at any time you knowingly make false statements, you
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: could be subject to criminal prosecution. Do you understand Bondy yes? Emmer.
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: This includes knowingly providing false testimony, but also stating you
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: do not recall or remember something when in fact you do.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Do you understand Bondy yes, Emmer. Furthermore, you cannot tell
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: half truth or exclude information necessary to make statements accurate.
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: You're required to provide all information that would make your
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: response truthful. A deliberate failure to disclose information can constitute
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: a false statement. Do you understand bond yes? Emmer. Is
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: there any reason you're unable to provide truthful testimony in
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: today's interview? Bondy no, Emmer. Please note that if you
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: wish to assert a privilege over any statement today, that
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: assertion must comply with the rules of the Committee on
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: Oversight and Government Reform pursu into that committee. Rule sixteen
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: C one states for the chair to consider assertions a
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: privilege over testimony, your statements, witnesses or entities must clearly
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: state the specific privilege be an asserted and the reason
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: for the assertion, honor before the scheduled date of testimony
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: or appearance. Do you understand, Bondy, yes, Emmer. Ordinarily we
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: take a five minute break at the end of each
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: hour of questioning, but if you need a longer break
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: or a break before that, please let us know and
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: we'll be happy to accommodate. However, to the extent that
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: there's a pending question, we would ask you to finish
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: answering the question before we take a break. Do you understand,
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: bond Y, yes, Emmer. I would like to remind anyone
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: here today that the taking of still photography and the
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: recording of video of any part of today's proceeding is prohibited.
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: Attorney General Bondi. Do you have any other questions before
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: we begin? Bondy no, Emmer. Do you have an opening
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: statement that you'll be reading into the record? Bond Y, yes, please, Emmer,
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: you may proceed. Bondy, good morning. Before we start today,
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: I want to reiterate what I've said many times regarding
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: the Department's handling during my tenure as Attorney General of
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: the voluminous materials that are now commonly known as the
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Epstein Files. I'm proud of the Department's record and commitment
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: to transparency. Under my leadership, we demonstrated an unprecedented commitment
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: to transparency in the department search for collection and review
• 8:26
  Speaker 1: of the Epstein Files, producing nearly three pages of material,
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: including thousands of videos and hundreds of thousands of images.
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: These investigations span four administrations, dating back to the Bush
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: administration and have gone on through the Obama administration, the
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: first Trump administration, the Biden administration. The only time federal
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: prosecutors were permitted to launch investigations against Epstein and Maxwell
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: was when President Trump occupied the White House. Only under
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: President Trump were three million Epstein related documents released. This
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: was an enormously complicated and labor intensive process. To the
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Our diligent and good faith
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: effort to collect materials ensured that all potentially responsive documents
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: that could be reasonably located would see the light of day.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: All Department components were directed to submit any potential responsive records,
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: resulting in a comprehensive review of millions of documents. At
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: the head of a large department with broad responsibility. I
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: did not lead every aspect of this effort, nor conduct
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: the document review myself. I delegated that oversight over the
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The team of
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: professionals who were reviewed the material that we collected assured
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: me the only material that were withheld were either non responsive, privileged,
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: or duplicative. Although not required by the Act, the Department
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: has given Congress access to unredacted duplicative material in the
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: reading room in an effort to maximize transparency. There were
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: redaction errors, but since day one of the process, the
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Department has been committed to accountability and transparency. Our stance
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: has always been that the Department stands ready to review
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: any potential evidence of criminal activity related to Ebstein and
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: his associates, and would pursue the appropriate investigations or prosecutorial
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: actions wherever the facts in law warrant. I would like
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: to repeat what I shared before the House Judiciary Committee
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: in February. I've spent my entire career fighting for victims,
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: and I'll continue to do so. I am deeply sorry
• 10:38
  Speaker 1: for what any victim has been through, especially as a
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: result of that monster. If they have any information to
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: share with law enforcement about anyone who has hurt them
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: or abused them. The FBI is waiting to hear from them.
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: The bottom line is justice and transparency in this matter
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: his administration. Thank you, mister Emmer, Thank you. We've had
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: another member of Congress join. Can he please identify himself
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: for the record, mister min Congressman Dave min Emmer. Attorney
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: General Bondie, I just want to thank you again for
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: participating in today's proceeding and for your years the public service,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: both to our country and the state of Florida. I
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: want to recognize that you're currently undergoing cancer treatment, and
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: I'll say that we will do our best to ask
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: all the questions in the most efficient and timely way possible.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: So let's start by briefly discussing your education and experience.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: I understand that you've had a long career, but can
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: you summarize it for the record. Bondie Sure. I went
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: to the University of Florida undergraduate. I graduated from Stetson
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: College of Law. I was a prosecutor in Hillsborough County,
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: Florida for eighteen years. Prosecuting almost every kind of crime imaginable,
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: from first degree murders all the way to domestic violence.
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: I was Felony Bureau Chief there as well. I also
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: be the Attorney General for the State of Florida, where
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: I served for eight years, and then for the past
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: year I was Attorney General of the United States. Question
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: by Emmer, So let's talk about your time as Attorney general.
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: You started in February of twenty twenty five. Is that correct? Answer? Yes,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: question by Emmer. And as it relates to Jeffrey Epstein, matter,
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: when you assumed office, what was the DOJ doing? Answer
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: when I assumed regarding Epstein Emer Yes, Bondie, when I
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: assumed office, nothing to my knowledge and nothing had been released,
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: and I don't know if it had been requested to
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: be released. Emmer. Did you direct the Department to conduct
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: a review of the Epstein and Maxwell investigation? Answer immediately,
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: I mean within weeks of assuming office. Question can you
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: describe for the committee what that looked like? Answer? Yes,
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: I spoke to the FBI and we asked them to
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: turn over all the documents in their possession related to Epstein. Emmer,
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: and as far as the those documents What was the
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: DOJ going to do with those documents? Bondy, provide transparency
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: and release them to the public and the Congress, of course.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: Question by Emmer. And I believe you said that started
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: immediately upon your assuming office. Is that right, Bondy, I
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: believe within weeks Emmer. And as far as providing transparency,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: was there a specific timeline that you provided to the
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: FBI to follow as far as releasing the documents? Bondi, yeah,
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: it was prior to Director Bettel being confirmed. I believe
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: when the process started and we received from the FBI
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: approximately three hundred documents that were released. Emmer. And to
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: be clear, you directed this internal review of the Epstein matter.
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: There was no other review that was occurring prior to
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: you assuming office. Answer not to my knowledge question. Also
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: for the record, the Epstein and Maxwell investigation was considered
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: closed upon you taking office answer to my knowledge yes.
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: Question When were you first briefed on the Eptie Stein
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Maxwell matter? Answer by Bondi initially after we received again
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: approximately three hundred documents and those were released, and I
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: believe that was the tip of the iceberg, that that
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: the FBI had not turned over all the documents. Director
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: Patel eventually was confirmed, and I sent him a letter
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: asking him to look into that and give us any
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: other documents in the FBI's possession anywhere in the country,
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: and ultimately we received much more. Question and for the record,
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: who would have been briefing you on the Epstein matter
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: as far as one you took office, Bondie Todd Blanche question,
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: what specific concerns did the department have as it related
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: to the Epstein and Maxwell matter when you assumed office?
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: Answer that nothing was released And again to my knowledge,
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: no one that spanned the Biden administration or previously had
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: sought to release any of the information. And I believe
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: it was within weeks of me assuming office that we
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: asked for and demanded all these documents. Emmer, do you
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: recall whether there were concerns that there was potentially unindicted
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: co conspirators? Answer always yes. All right, folks, we're gonna
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: wrap up right here, and in the next episode dealing
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: with the topic, we're gonna pick up where we left off.
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: All the information that goes with this episode can be
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: found in the description box. What's up, everyone, and welcome
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. In this episode,
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: We're gonna get right back to the Pam Bondi transcript. Emmer, So,
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: at the time that you directed this review, was there
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: any sort of plan of what the review would consist of? Bondi? Well, initially, again,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: we only received several hundred documents and they were released
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: upon reaction by the FBI. Then, once Director but Tell
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: assumed disposition, we found many more documents, and as we
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: receive those, those were reviewed and released. And we have
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: always made it very clear that if anyone is the
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: victim of Jeffrey Epstein, and I count Clain Maxwell in
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: there too, she's just as evil as Jeffrey Epstein was,
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: that they come forward to us the FBI. Many of
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: these victims are represented by lawyers and talk to us. Emmer.
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: Upon taking office, did any victims or victim attorneys reach
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: out to the department? Bondi, yes, Emmer, how many, Bondie,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: I can't recall how many. I know multiple. There were
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: multiple victims and many of which I believe the majority
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: are represented by attorneys. Emmer. Did you meet with them
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: personally or would that have been something that Todd Blanche
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: would have done? Answer Bondi. No, I spoke to one attorney.
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: I can't recall her name. She was a former prosecutor,
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: and she seemed to deeply care about these victims, of course,
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: and I spoke to her, and I believe I referred
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: her to the FBI. You know, when a victim is represented,
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: you go through their attorney, and I spoke to her directly,
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: and then I know many of the lawyers in my
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: office spoke to other attorneys, and I believe the FBI
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: spoke to multiple victims as well. But I would direct
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: that to Deputy Attorney General now Acting Attorney General Blanche,
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: and also director of Battel Emmer. You would have been
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: briefed on these meetings with victims and their attorneys, is
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: that right, BONDI, I have not been. After the fact,
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: question Okay, do you have any idea what the victims
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: and their attorneys were concerned about during the time period
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: of February and spring of twenty twenty five? BONDI only
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: the attorney that I spoke to, and she was just
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: concerned about being heard and these victims being heard. Emmer,
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: Uh huh? Were they interested in files being released at
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: the time? Answer? I don't recall. Question Okay, you mentioned
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: Director Battel and the FBI. Were there any other agencies
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: that were involved in the review of documents during this period, Bondi,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: the FBI, the DOJ, multiple components of the DOJ, my
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: National Security Division at the time, and then ultimately we
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: received multiple documents. We used attorneys from around the country,
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: including Florida and New York. Emmer, and I know I
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: asked you about potential co conspirators earlier, but when you
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: were reviewing these initial documents in the spring of twenty
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: twenty five, were there ever any plans to pursue investigations
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: into potential co conspirators? Answer? I'm sorry, what month did
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: you say? Emmer? Upon assuming office and during the spring
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: of twenty twenty five, Bondy, if there were co conspirators
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: or evidence that anyone committed a crime that could be
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: proven in a courtroom, it's any prosecutor's duty to pursue that, Emmer,
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: Attorney General Bondi. On February twenty first, twenty twenty five,
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: just over two weeks after you were sworn in as AG,
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: you responded to a question in an interview about a
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: purported list of Epstein's clients by saying it's sitting on
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: my desk right now. Is that an accurate characterization of
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: your statements during that interview, Bondi, if you listened to
• 18:52
  Speaker 1: the entire interview, I was referring to the file, and
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: I also included I don't have a copy of the
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: transcript of that interview, but I kept going in said
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: the question, was I believe a list of clients? And
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: I said, it's sitting on my desk to review, along
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: with JFK files MLK files. I wasn't I meant the
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: files to review. I had not reviewed them at the time,
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: and I made that clear. Emmer. And I'm assuming you
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: did ultimately review those files, is that right, BONDI? Yeah,
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: along with multiple attorneys in my office. Emmer And were
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: those files the ones that you referred to previously that
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: the FBI produced to the DOJ upon assuming office? Answer? Yes, question,
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: thank you, Bondi, And I think you clarified something for me.
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: It was within two weeks of assuming office that I
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: received those so really within just a week or more,
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: I had requested all the Epstein documents. Question and during
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: this period, upon the assuming office, you were interested in
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: whether or not there was a client list of Epstein Bondy, Yes, Emmer,
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: and you directed the department to review whether there was
• 19:58
  Speaker 1: a client list bond question by Emmer. And those documents
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: that you referred to that were sitting on your desk
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: were those ultimately produced publicly? Bondi, yes, Emmer. A week later,
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: on February twenty seventh, twenty twenty five, a group of
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: select individuals left the White House holding white binders that
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: contained the DOJ seal and were labeled the Epstein Files
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: Phase one. Do you recall this occurring, Bondi, yeah, and
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: that would include the approximately I'm saying approximate three hundred pages,
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: and I believe that included flight logs and other things.
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: But those were the initial documents that we received. Emmer.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: Were you involved in providing these documents to these individuals?
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: Bondi yes, question and ultimately, whose decision was it to
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: release the documents? Bondy Ultimately mine to release as much
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: as we could while protecting victim's identities. Emmer. How were
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: the recipients of this Phase one release selected? Answer? We
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: were seeing them that day, they were at the White
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: House and we handed them the bar and then it
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: was released to the general public as well. Emmer. Were
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: these recipients of the Phase one release also provided an
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: opportunity to review the documents at DOJ headquarters. Bondy, I
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: don't believe so, Emmer. So the label Epstein Files Phase
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: one at that point, was it presumed that there would
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: be a Phase two? Answer? Yeah, because I didn't believe
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: that there were only three hundred approximately pages of Epstein documents.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: And I had sent the FBI a letter demanding everything
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: they had, and that meant around this country on Epstein
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: and that was all we received, Emmer. And to be clear,
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: was there any other release of documents prior to this
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: Committee's investigation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act? Answer? Yes,
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: multiple ones, multiple ones, Emmer. At this time, I'd like
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: to introduce what will be marked as majority Exhibit number one,
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: and I'll give you a moment to review. Attorney General Bondi,
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: do you recognize this letter, Bondi? Yes, this is the
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: letter that I referred to earlier dated February twenty seventh,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five, that I sent a Director Patel and
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: to clarify, I had said that we released approximately three
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: hundred maybe earlier documents, there were about two hundred pages.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: According to the letter that I sent them. Emmer. So,
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: in the letter, you claim that you learn from a
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: source that the FBI Field office in New York was
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: withholding thousands of pages of Epstein documents, despite the FBI's
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: assurances that all relevant documents had been delivered to the
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: Department of Justice already. In this letter, you say that
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: you only received about two hundred pages and requested an
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: investigation into the document shortfall. Is that an accurate summary
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: of what occurred? Answer? Yes, Emmer. Why do you think
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: that this field office was withholding documents? BONDI? I asked
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: Ptel to look into that. Emmer. Who told or who
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: told you or brought these concerns to you that they
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: may be withholding documents, Bondy. I believe it was one
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: of the attorneys in my office who said. I believe
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: it was a career prosecutor who said, I think there
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: are more documents and they're in New York. I don't
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: believe it was an FBI agent. And then that's when
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: I contacted Director Patel, who by that time had assumed office. Emmer.
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: You also stated in the letter that the FBI failed
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: to disclose the existence of these documents after your repeated
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: requests to turn over all documents. Is that correct, Bondi?
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: That is correct, and I said by eight am tomorrow,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings,
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: of how such information was obtained. There will be no
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: withholdings or limitations to my or your access. The Department
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: of Justice will ensure that any public disclosure of these
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: files will be done in a manner to protect the
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: privacy of victims and in accordance with the law, as
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: I've done my entire career as a prosecutor. And the
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: letter continues, question and you already mentioned that you discussed
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: this with Director Patel. Did you also discuss it with
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: Deputy Director of Bongino? Answer? I don't know if Deputy
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: Director of Bongino had assumed his office at that point.
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: Emmer and pursue into your letter. Did Director Ptel initiate
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: an investigation into that field office? Bondi, I believe he did. Emmer.
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: Do you know what the results of that investigation were? Bondi,
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: I don't recall. Emmer given this letter, What other steps
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: did you take to ensure the FBI turned over any
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: end all of the remaining withheld documents? Bondi. I relied
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: on Patel and Deputy Attorney General Blanche. Question by Emmer,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: so you yourself did not ever confirm that the FBI
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: turned over all relevant documents following this incident. Answer by Bondi,
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: you would have to ask Director Patel. Question at this time,
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: I would like to what will be marked as majority
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: exhibit number two. Question Emmer. Attorney General Bondi, do you
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: recognize the statement? Answer by Bondi, yes. Question what role
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: did you have in issuing the statement? Bondy, this was
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: I did not have a role in issuing the statement.
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: I believe it was done by Deputy Attorney General Blanche
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: in conjunction with the FBI. I believe. Question and for
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: the record, this is the July seventh, twenty twenty five
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: DOJ an FBI joint statement. The statement said that there
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: was no evidence that Epstein kept a client list of
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: associates whom he blackmailed or conspired with to victimize dozens
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: of women. Do you know which documents the DOJ and
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: FBI relied on in issuing the statement, BONDI, I do not.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: You'd have to ask Deputy Attorney General now Acting Attorney
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: General Blanche and director of Bttel Emmer, prior to this
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: statement being issued, where you briefed on the reviews finding
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: that informed the state? BONDI, yes. Question what were you told, Bondy,
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: I don't recall other than what's in the letter Emmer.
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: As far as conclusions of the letter itself, did you
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: have concerns Bondy at the time, No, We relied on
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: the documents that the FBI and DJ received. Question and
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: the letter says that there was DJ was not able
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: to locate a client list. Did DOJ compile a list
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: of individuals as far as its review that may have
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: been associated with Epstein and Maxwell? Answer? Not, to my knowledge,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: they didn't compile a client list to my knowledge. Question
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: by Emmer. So for the record, is it your testimony
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: today that the Department of Justice never had a list
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: of Epstein's clients or associates in its possession? BONDI not,
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: to my knowledge. All right, folks, we're gonna wrap up
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: right here, and in the next episode dealing with the topic,
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: we're gonna pick up where we left off. All the
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: information that goes with this episode can be found in
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: the description box. What's up, everyone, and welcome to another
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: episode of the Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're diving
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: right back in to the transcript from Pam Bondi and
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: her visit to Congress. Question Emmer. The joint statement also
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: said neither the DOJ nor the FBI uncovered evidence that
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties. What process
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: did the Department of Justice undergo to determine there was
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: no evidence to investigate any third parties? Bondi. I believe
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: the FBI thoroughly reviewed all the documents in its possession
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: to make that determination. They are the investigative agency. Emmer.
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Uh huh. During the time when this statement was issued,
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: you've mentioned that Blanche was heavily involved. Were you ever
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: briefed on individuals of concern related to Epstein or Maxwell? Bondi.
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: I don't recall other than they were scouring through the documents,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: and I believe there were multiple videos as well. Question,
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: as far as this initial review, did the Department of
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: Justice conduct any interview or meeting with any individual in
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: its efforts to determine whether further investigation was necessary. Bondy.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: Can you repeat that, Emmer? As part of its review
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: that informed the July seventh joint statement, did the Department
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: of Justice interview any individuals outside the DOJ to inform
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: its conclusion? Bondi. I believe the FBI did, but that's
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: a question for Director Bettel Emmer. On July twenty fourth
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: and July twenty fifth of twenty twenty five, Deputy Attorney
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: General Todd Blanche interviewed Glenn Maxwell, and the DOJ released
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: the transcript a month later. Attorney General BONDI, why did
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: the Department of Justice conduct this interview? Bondi? I believe
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General now Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: set on several occasions at Epstein by that time was
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: dead and no one had taken had made an effort
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: to interview Glenn Maxwell to see if she had evidence
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: of co conspirators and other crimes, and that that's why
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: interviewed her. Question are you aware of whether Maxwell reached
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: out to the Department of Justice to request this interview?
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: Answer by BONDI, I don't recall how it was initiated, Emmer,
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: So would it be safe to assume that you had
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: no role in the determination that then Deputy Attorney General
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Todd Blanche would perform the interview. Answer, Oh, I knew
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: that Todd was going to interview or yes, I believe.
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: I don't believe who initiated it if she reached out
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: to us, I believe. I don't want to speculate, but
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: I believe that Deputy Attorney General Blanche at the time
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: reached out to them because there was someone still living
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: in prison who had potential information about other co conspirators
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: and crimes. Question by Emmer. Were there any concerns at
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: the DOJ about conducting the interview with clann Maxwell Bondie. No,
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: not to my knowledge, Emmer. And based on Maxwell's testimony
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: to Todd Blanche, did the Department of Justice take any
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: subsequent action that were informed by the testimony? Answer by
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: BONDI I don't believe. So. Now, mister Grant jumps in
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: and do you know why or how it became that
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: the Deputy Attorney General Blanche would be the one to
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: take the interview of miss Maxwell Bondie. He was leading
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: the Epstein matter and the release of everything from the beginning.
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General now acting you as Attorney Blanche was Emmer,
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: Maxwell's attorney stated publicly that Maxwell had provided the names
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: of one hundred different people connected to Jeffrey Epstein in
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: the course of a two day interview. Did the Department
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: of Justice investigate any of the individuals named in Maxwell's testimony?
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: Bondi and I believe that entire transcript has been released
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: and the FBI would have looked into that. That was
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: the purpose of taking the statement. Question as far as
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: the transcript itself and what has been released publicly, how
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: did the Department of Justice determine which individuals would be
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: redacted from the transcript? Bondy, Deputy Attorney General Blanche made
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: that determination based on the law and what privileges would apply.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Question do you know what type of individual names were
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: redacted in the Maxwell transcript? Answer by Bondie, I don't recall.
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: Question are you aware of whether there were any redaction
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: errors in the transcript? Answer? I don't recall. Ultimately, of course,
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: there were millions of documents released, so I don't recall
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: regarding the transcript, but if there were, I do believe
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: Deputy Attorney General Blanche now acting ag Blanche did everything
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: to be sure we had complete transparency under the law. Question.
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: Following the interview, Glenn Maxwell was moved by the Bureau
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: of Prisons from a maximum security prison in Florida to
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: a low security federal prison in Texas on August first,
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five. Why was that, Bondie. I read about
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: that in the newspaper or online after it happened. I
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: had nothing to do with that. I don't want to speculate,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: but I believe it was for security reasons. You'd have
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: to ask the Bureau of Prisons that question. Question. Would
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: then Deputy Attorney General Blanche know the answer to that question? Bondy,
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: he may, and I'm not sure if he's addressed it publicly. Probably,
• 32:12
  Speaker 1: but transferring a prisoner is the decision of the Bureau
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: of Prisons. Question to be clear, and to your knowledge,
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: do you know if her transfer had anything to do
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: with her participating in the interview with Todd Blanche Bondy,
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: I have no knowledge of that. Again, I found out
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: about it after the transfer, when it became public. Question,
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: Attorney General of BONDI, do you believe that Glenn Maxwell
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: should receive a pardon? Bondy? No, I believe that she
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: should die in prison. Question why? Answer? She was a
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: monster just like Jeffrey Epstein. She recruited these young women
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: to a life of prostitution and abuse. And I often
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: think that the women that do that are just as bad,
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: if not worse, than the men, because she participated in it.
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: Mister Grant's asking questions again. On August twenty second, twenty
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: twenty five, this committee issued a subpoena to the Department
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: of Justice for documents pertaining to the Epstein matter. The
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: DOJ subsequently produced approximately thirty three thousand documents to the committee.
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: In this production, the DOJ indicated that multiple responsive records
• 33:16
  Speaker 1: must also be withheld or redacted as required by applicable law,
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: including certain grand jury material and documents containing personally identifiable information.
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: Are you aware, Attorney General Bondi, how the DOJ initially
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: gathered or collected necessary documents under this committee subpoena? Answer? No,
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: And that task I believe was thirty three thousand pages
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: was delegated to Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. He handled
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: that bachel releases excuse me question, and so it would
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: be mister Woodward that would know more about the process
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: to determine which documents fell under that subpoena? Answer yes,
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: Question were you ever briefed on the documents underneath that subpoena? Answer?
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: Maybe briefly after they were released. Our goal was to
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: get as much out publicly that was legally permissible as
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: fast as we could. Question And would that redaction process
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: for those documents be similar to what the Department of
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: Justice was already doing as far as making sure no
• 34:17
  Speaker 1: personal information was getting out there because it was required
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: by law. Answer yeah, and I believe that Stanley Woodward
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: was the one again who supervised that release. Question and
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: in this matter, who at the Department of Justice would
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: have been actually doing those redactions? Staff attorneys, other attorneys
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: at Main Justice, someone else? Answer? I believe it was attorneys,
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: multiple attorneys at the Department of Justice, even some again
• 34:42
  Speaker 1: from the National Security Division. And again, ultimately attorneys from
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: all over the country were pulled in to help once
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: we received the millions of pages of documents. But initially
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: we did have attorneys from within the Department of Justice
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: and the FBI, I believe working on those redactions. And
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: are you aware of attorneys at the Department of Justice
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: having to undergo any type of training as far as
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: redactions go. Answer. I believe they did, and that would
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: have been supervised by Todd Blanche. Question was there any
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: criteria for which attorneys get selected to do redactions that
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: you're aware of? Bondie? I recall we used attorneys from
• 35:21
  Speaker 1: the National Security Division as much as we could because
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: they have top security clearance and the goal was to
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: protect the victim's identities. Question and are you aware of
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: why the DOJ only produced thirty three thousand documents pursuant
• 35:36
  Speaker 1: to the committee subpoena. Answer? I believe because that was
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: all they had at the time, and we would have
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: had to ask Associate Attorney General Stanley wood Word that question. Now,
• 35:46
  Speaker 1: mister Emmer is asking questions once again. Let's talk about
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: the Epstein Files Transparency Act, And for the record, the
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: EFTA was signed into law November nineteenth of twenty twenty five,
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: requiring you, the Attorney General at the time, to release
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: all documents related to the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein within
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: thirty days and making them publicly available in a searchable format.
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: What was your role in carrying out the Epstein Files
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: Transparency Act? Answer? Todd Blanche supervised that entire process. To
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: back up for a minute, though, the Office did ask
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: for those files prior to the Transparency Act be unsealed
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: by the courts in multiple jurisdictions. I believe it was
• 36:28
  Speaker 1: SDFL and SDNY, and those requests were denied and it
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: was not until the Transparency Act that we were able
• 36:35
  Speaker 1: to receive those documents. Questions, So there were existing efforts
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: to release documents prior to the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: Answer yes, question, So what was your response to the
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: Epstein Files Transparency Act being passed? Bondie. We were able
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: to receive many more documents based on the Act. We
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: were able to unseal the grand jury. We made a
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: motion to unseal the grand jury documents and Epstein and Maxwell,
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: and that also included the Epstein when he died excuse me.
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: That also included when Epstein died in prison. It included
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: I believe a prison guard case somewhere, Epstein cases and
• 37:11
  Speaker 1: both jurisdictions and Maxwell's cases. Question, and you said the
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: effort was directed by Todd Blanche. Is that correct? Answer? Yes?
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: Question How frequently did you meet with Todd Blanche after
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed? Answer. I spoke
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: with Deputy Attorney General practically every day about countless issues
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: around not only the country but the world that we
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: were dealing with. As to details on it, I don't know.
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: I don't recall how often question in relation to EFTA
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: and the Department's obligation they're under. What concern was or
• 37:45
  Speaker 1: did Todd Blanche express concerns as far as releasing documents?
• 37:50
  Speaker 1: What was he saying? And to this Harme Dillon jumps in,
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: I'm just going to point out that you can answer
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: that to the extent that it doesn't reveal protective communication. Bondie,
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: I can say I believe everyone was concerned about protecting
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: victim identity given the six million pages of documents that
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: was received and only a thirty day timeline to comply
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: with the process. Mister Emmer and we're going to talk
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: more in detail about what was produced, But to start,
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: how did Department of Justice initially gather or collect necessary
• 38:21
  Speaker 1: documents or material that complied with the Epstein File Transparency Act. Bondie,
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: can you repeat that question? How did the Department of
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: Justice initially gather or collect the necessary documents or material
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: that complied with the Epstein File Transparency Act. Answer, Well,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: as I stated earlier, the Department made motions to unsealed
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: things that were previously withheld from the US by the
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: courts and requested everything we possibly could, which is why
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: there was an over collection in documents as well as
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: from the jurisdictions. And again that included the death of Epstein,
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: Glenn Maxwell's case, both of all of Epstein's cases in
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: the multiple jurisdictions. Question, to the best of your knowledge,
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: what was the process to determine which documents and material
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: fell under the Epstein File Transparency Act. Answer? I believe
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: we collected everything possible out there related to Epstein, which
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: is why there was such an over collection as well.
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: Question and again, then Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche was
• 39:23
  Speaker 1: overseeing the efforts. Is that right? Answer? Yes, Todd Blanche
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: oversaw the entire investigation, and he has made multiple statements
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: and done multiple interviews regarding that. All right, folks, we're
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: gonna wrap up right here, and in the next episode,
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: we're gonna pick up where we left off. All the
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: information that goes with this episode can be found in
• 39:42
  Speaker 1: the description box. What's up, everyone, and welcome to another
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: episode of the Epstein chronicles. In this episode, we're going
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: to get right back to Pam Bondy and the transcript
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: from her meeting with Congress. Question, so let's talk about
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: that day timeline was a Department of Justice able to
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: produce all documents within the thirty days? Bondy, No, And
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: that is when I became more involved, because we had
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: over five hundred attorneys I believe, working around the clock
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: to do the best we could in good faith to
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: release as many documents as we could within thirty days
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: while protecting the identity of the victims. And I do
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: recall very vividly that these lawyers were working over Christmas
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: New Year's holidays to get that done, some late into
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: the night, I mean one two am. Question. And you
• 40:33
  Speaker 1: mentioned five hundred attorneys, Bondy plus question, where did they
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: come from? Bondy? They came from our National Security Division.
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: They came from I believe SDNY, the Northern District of
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: New York and Florida. Todd Blanche recruited attorneys within our
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: office to come in and complete this herculean task of
• 40:52
  Speaker 1: millions of documents within thirty days, to the best that
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: we could to protect victims. Question. I would presume that
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: the five hundred attorneys had other roles and responsibilities that
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: they were to handle at the department during the period.
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: Answer they absolutely did. Yes. Question were their concerns about
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: diverting resources? Answer? Yes, And to clarify, some may have
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: taken this on full time, but I believe many of
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: them had other roles going on at the same time
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: as well. Emmer, we've had another member join us. Can
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: he please identify himself for the record, mister Kana, Rocana, California, seventeen. Emmer,
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: and I know that you've already mentioned how many documents
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: were produced, but again for the public. How many total
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: documents or materials did the Department of Justice produce to
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: the public pursuant to the Epstein File Transparency Act BONDI
• 41:44
  Speaker 1: approximately three million? Question? And there has been public statements.
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: I believe that then Deputy Attorney General Blanche had said
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: at one point there were six million total potentially responsive material.
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: Is that right, BONDI, He did, and he's clarified that
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: multiple times, I believe, publicly indicating that a lot much
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: of it was duplicative because it was coming from two districts,
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: some was privileged, and also he stated that some of
• 42:09
  Speaker 1: the material had absolutely nothing to do with Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein,
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: it was over collection in an effort to ensure radical
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: transparency for the country questions. So, to be clear, there
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: has been a lot said in accusations that the Department
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: didn't produce everything. Attorney General BONDI, are there any documents
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: remaining in possession of the Department of Justice that are
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: required to be released pursuant to the Epstein File Transparency Act? Answer?
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: To my knowledge, they've all been released, to my knowledge. Question,
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: why do people keep asking for the files to be released?
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: In answer, the unredacted versions are also available to members
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: of Congress, including duplicative material. So and I believe that's
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: still available, so people can so Congress can go and
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: see it for themselves. The six million pages versus why
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: three million was released and much of it was duplicative
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: or privileged or completely unrelated to Jeffrey Epstein. At this time,
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: I would like to introduce what will be marked as
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: Majority Exhibit number three. And this is a letter that
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: was sent from the Department of Justice to Senators and
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: members of Congress on January thirtieth. Mister Emmer, I would
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: also like to introduce what will be marked as majority
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: exhibit for This is also a letter that was sent
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: on February fourteenth of twenty twenty six. Emmer, and I'll
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: give you a moment to review. Attorney General BONDI, you've
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: had a chance to review the documents. These are the
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: notifications that you provided Congress pursuant to the Epstein File
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: Transparency Act. Answer yes, question and again you touched on
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: it previously. But there were certain categories of documents that
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: were not produced. Is that right? Answer? Yes? Question and
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: again you I believe one class was duplicative documents. And
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: for the record, I know that you've been an attorney
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: for many years. Can you just expels again what qualifies
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: as duplicative documents? Answer? Sure, the same document being released twice,
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: and that occurred, I believe because there were documents in
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: multiple districts within the country, specifically, I believe the Southern
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: District of Florida and the Southern District of New York.
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: Question and understanding that then Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: was overseeing the efforts, did he ever brief you on
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: how many documents were considered to be duplicative? Answered? Not specifically,
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: but I believe it was approximately three million. I believe.
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Oh duplicative. No, I don't. I'm sorry, I don't recall
• 44:35
  Speaker 1: how many were duplicative? Question And there were certain documents
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: that were privileged? Answer? Yes, question can you elaborate more
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: on why those can't be produced? Answer? I can give
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: you an example, which would be a prosecution memo was privileged.
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: Question and who made that determination whether a document was
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: considered to be privileged? Answer Todd Blanche while following the law,
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: and Todd Blanche never approached you about any specific document
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: as it relates to privilege, Bondy. Probably, I don't recall specifically,
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: but we probably talked about it. I talked to him
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: every day about multiple issues around the country and the world. Question,
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: and I know you touched on this previously. But the
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: Department of Justice, according to the letters, said that they
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: were certain files that were being withheld that are not
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: part of the case file for Epstein or Maxwell and
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: we're completely unrelated to the case. Is that right? Answer? Yes,
• 45:31
  Speaker 1: question can you give us an example of what that
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: would be? What would have been captured by that? Answer Bondie.
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: I believe an example that Todd Blanche used. Was there
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: was someone else in South Florida with the name of Epstein,
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: an entire case that had nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: That would be an example of it. Question and for
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: the record, recognizing that you had to conduct a search
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: and have produced millions of documents, if those documents were
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: determined to have nothing to do with Epstein or Maxwell case,
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: why were they originally included in this search that the
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: Department of Justice conducted. Answer? We wanted to have radical
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: transparency and find everything that was related to Jeffrey Epstein,
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: and that's why the search was overboard. Question thank you.
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: I want to talk about the redactions that were in
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: the files. What was the Department of Justice redaction process
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: for documents released under the Epstein File Transparency Act. Answer?
• 46:28
  Speaker 1: I believe that it listed is one of Todd Blanche's memos,
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: and he was in charge of the process and the
• 46:33
  Speaker 1: entire release of the Epstein files. Question and during the
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: process when you were preparing documents to be produced, were
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: their concerns about what should or should not be redacted? Answer?
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: I believe so. Question did you have concerns BONDI yeah,
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: I have grave concerns about victim's names being released because
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: of the volume of documents and the timeframe in which
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: those documents had to be released, and I believe most
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: people in the office shared those concerns. Question and were
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: the guidelines in place for DOJ employees on how to
• 47:05
  Speaker 1: make redactions? Answer? I believe Deputy Attorney General Blanche now
• 47:09
  Speaker 1: Acting Attorney General Blanche let out those guidelines for their reviewers,
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: the attorney who reviewed the material, and I believe some
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: of it the protocol is listed in the memos as well.
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: Question are you aware of whether the DOJ employees tasked
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: with conducting redactions whether they had to undergo any kind
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: of training? Answer? I don't recall, I believe so, I'm
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: not certain. Question and I recognize that you may have
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: briefly touched on this, But were there any criteria for
• 47:37
  Speaker 1: the attorneys that were selected to make the redactions? Answer?
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: Criteria about the attorneys themselves? Question as far as the
• 47:44
  Speaker 1: five hundred attorneys that were selected to contribute to the effort?
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: Answer yeah, as our recall, we used many from our
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: National Security Division because they're highly qualified and also deal
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: with protecting victims and confidential information on a routine basis.
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: But as well as prosecutors from multiple jurisdictions. But how
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: they were specifically chosen, I'm not sure. Question Attorney General Bondi,
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: did you yourself ever redact documents produced under the Epstein
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: File Transparency Act? Answer? No. Question were you consulted as
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: to whether or not something should be redacted? Answer? I
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: don't believe so. Emmer. I would now like to introduce
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: what will be marked majority Exhibit five, and I'll give
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: you a moment to review. Question. This is the Department
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: of Justice memorandum dated January fourth, twenty twenty six, entitled
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: Attorney Review Protocol for Epstein Files. Bondi, Yeah, and this
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: is from the Deputy Attorney General's office. Yeah. Question Attorney
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: General Bondi, do you recognize the document? Answer? Yes, I
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: have not read it in its entirety. Question is this
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: document that you were referring to when I asked you
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: whether there was a process for DOJ employees to redact? Answer? Yes,
• 48:58
  Speaker 1: you asked about training. Yeah, and this is a very
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: detailed memo as to what specifically under the law can
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: be released and what should be redacted. Question. According to
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: the document, and specifically on the top of page six,
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: there is a highly confidential list of victim names that
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: must be redacted. Are you aware of a list of
• 49:16
  Speaker 1: victim names that needed to be redacted? Bondi yeah, not
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: specifically what victim, but I believe that list kept growing
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: as well. Question, and I believe that you mentioned this before.
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: This was one of your main concerns as part of
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: producing the documents under the EFTA. Is that right? Bondy Yes.
• 49:34
  Speaker 1: Question or any victims or their attorneys contacted for the
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: creation of this list? Bondi, I believe so. Question was
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: the Department of Justice contacted by victims or their attorneys
• 49:45
  Speaker 1: to create the list? Answer? I believe so. I also
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: believe the list was ongoing and while the redactions were
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: being done, I recall, we would receive more victim names. Therefore,
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: the attorneys doing the redactions would have to go back
• 49:59
  Speaker 1: and search for the additional names as well. Question what
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: information would have been used to inform the list of
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: victim names after the redaction? Bondy, I don't recall. Question
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: is it safe to assume that Todd Blanche would have
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: been the individual who would have approved the list? Answer yes.
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: Question understanding the time constraints related to thirty days of
• 50:21
  Speaker 1: redacting millions of pages of documents. It seems that there
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: was some redaction mistakes. Is that correct? And these redaction
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: mistakes were both under inclusive and overinclusive? How did that happen? Answer?
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: I believe given the volume of documents, and again the
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: intense short timeframe in which hundreds of lawyers were working
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: around the clock, even on holidays to get these documents out,
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: there were mistakes. I believe Todd Blanche said it was
• 50:47
  Speaker 1: about one percent error rate. But I would say we
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: all believe that if one victim's name is inadvertently released,
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: that's a failure. Question If the department was made aware
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: of a mistake, how did it respond? Answer by correcting
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: that mistake as fast as we could. Question and again,
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: would that have been fall into then Deputy Attorney General
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: Todd Blanche? Answer yes? Question did he brief you on
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: certain mistakes? Answer? Not specifically, just that I recall when
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: a victim's name. Everyone was upset when a victim's name
• 51:19
  Speaker 1: got released inadvertently. Question as far as the victims themselves
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: and those that may have been inadvertently unredacted in the files,
• 51:28
  Speaker 1: did they reach out to you? Answer? I don't believe so.
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: And I believe I saw online one victim's name and
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: she said she her name had been released, and that
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: was really the extent of my involvement on that. I
• 51:39
  Speaker 1: called Todd right away instead of victim is saying her
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: name was released and it shouldn't have been, but it
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: would have been something that I saw online. Question did
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: the Department of Justice have any avenues for individuals whose
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: names may have been redacted or unredacted in the files
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: to reach out to the department and remedy the situation.
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: Answer I don't recall that process, how that process worked,
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: and that could have been done with the FBI. Question
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: was there a team in charge of checking for and
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: correcting any errors made in the release of the files? Answer? Yes,
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: done in the direction of Todd Blanche. Question do you
• 52:17
  Speaker 1: have any idea of how many corrections were made? Answer?
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: I don't. All right, folks, we're gonna wrap up right here,
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: and in the next episode dealing with the topic, we're
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: gonna pick up where we left off. All the information
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: that goes with this episode can be found in the
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: description box.