American Oversight Launches Epstein Records Investigation, Seeks Details on DOJ and FBI Review of Investigative Holdings
We’re seeking records following reports that FBI personnel were instructed to flag Epstein files for Trump references.
On Tuesday, American Oversight launched an investigation into the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) review of investigative holdings relating to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal case. Following news that Sen. Dick Durbin’s office was informed that FBI personnel “were instructed to ‘flag’ any records in which President Trump was mentioned,” and reports that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appears multiple times in the Epstein files, the nonpartisan watchdog filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking records that could shed light on how these sensitive materials were reviewed. The review conducted by DOJ and the FBI reportedly involved hundreds of FBI employees and federal prosecutors who were pulled off other assignments and asked to work around the clock to conduct multiple rounds of reviews of Epstein-related files.
“In a functioning democracy, no one — not even the most powerful — should be shielded from public scrutiny,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “Jeffrey Epstein called Donald Trump his ‘closest friend’ for a decade — and now, the public is being asked to trust that law enforcement handled this case without bias or special treatment. That’s not good enough. When the stakes are justice and public trust, we don’t need secrecy. We need sunlight. And we intend to get it.”
American Oversight is seeking records from the DOJ and the FBI that reflect training materials provided to personnel involved in reviewing Epstein-related investigative holdings, including materials addressing redaction procedures, flagging specific content, and operational security. The nonpartisan watchdog also requested final directives or guidance shared with agency staff as well as any internal complaints or dissent memoranda regarding the conduct of the review.