POLITICS NEWS – Durbin accuses AG Bondi of pressuring FBI to flag Trump mentions in Epstein files

Ananya Roy, News Writer

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of directing a massive FBI review of Jeffrey Epstein case files with explicit instructions to flag any references to former President Donald Trump. In letters sent to Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Durbin claimed that his office received information indicating approximately 1,000 FBI personnel were placed on 24-hour shifts to expedite the review of the files, under Bondi’s direction. He questioned whether the officials personally reviewed the files and requested a log of all documents mentioning Trump for submission to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Office of the Inspector General.

Durbin’s allegations come amid renewed scrutiny over the Trump administration’s handling of Epstein-related records. On the same day, Trump called for the release of all grand jury testimony in the case, calling ongoing investigations a politically motivated “scam.” Bondi responded that the Department of Justice was prepared to seek court approval to unseal transcripts. The exchange followed a Wall Street Journal report revealing that Trump had sent Epstein a note and drawing for his 50th birthday, prompting threats of legal action from Trump against the publication. Durbin also raised concerns over allegedly edited surveillance footage from outside Epstein’s cell, further fueling public skepticism about the transparency of the government’s investigation.