What We Sought
The Trump-Vance administration’s handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has garnered extraordinary attention from the American public, Congress, and the press. In particular, there has been significant media coverage and public interest surrounding the information contained within Epstein matter case files–including the existence of a “client list” of those to whom Epstein trafficked underage girls–and whether that information should be disclosed to the public.
As a Presidential candidate in 2024, Trump said he would “probably” release the “Epstein list” and following President Trump’s reelection and Inauguration, when Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked whether DOJ would “really” “be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients,” she responded, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review. That’s been a directive by Trump.” Just days later, Bondi released materials that were mostly already public, and reporting indicates that the following months involved “frantic scouring” of the Epstein files by the FBI and DOJ for references to President Trump. Documents released by House Oversight members in fall 2025 further underscore the ties between President Trump and Epstein–with Epstein writing that Trump “spent hours at my house” with a victim of sex trafficking and calling Trump the “dog that hasn’t barked.” In addition, whistleblower files provided to members of Congress showed that Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is preparing a commutation application to be reviewed by the Trump administration–further underscoring the immediate need to shed further light on this matter.
To shed light on this urgent matter of immense public interest, Democracy Forward sent FOIA requests seeking senior administration officials’ communications regarding Epstein documents from the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, including those regarding correspondence between Trump and Epstein, as well as records of agency review of the Epstein matter itself.
What We Received
DFF filed a lawsuit that seeks an order requiring the DOJ and FBI to grant expedited processing and promptly release the non-exempt portions of the records. We will update this page as we receive new information.
