/

Blanche Defends DOJ Handling Of Epstein Files After Bondi Ousted

5 mins read
Pam Bondi
Photo Credit: United States Department of Justice, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on criticism over the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files while stepping into a new role after President Donald Trump removed Pam Bondi as attorney general.

Appearing on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Blanche was pressed on whether Bondi mishandled the documents tied to the Epstein investigation.

“First of all, I have never heard President Trump say that the Attorney General was, that anything that happened to her had anything to do with the Epstein files,” Blanche told eponymous host Jesse Watters. “So look, the Epstein files has been a saga that’s lasted for the entire for the past year.”

He then pointed to recent actions taken by the department. “And what happened when the president signed the Transparency Act is that the Department of Justice has now released all the files, with respect to the Epstein saga,” Blanche continued.

Blanche said both he and Bondi had appeared before lawmakers to address questions directly and insisted that access had been made available to members of Congress.

“The Attorney General Bondi and I appeared in front of Congress voluntarily a couple weeks ago to answer any questions they had,” he said. “We have made every single congressman and senator available to come and see any document, redacted [and] unredacted, that they want.”

He added that the issue should not define the department moving forward. “And so I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward,” Blanche remarked.

Bondi had faced sustained criticism over her handling of the files. In February 2025, she announced that she had Epstein’s client list in her possession and later distributed binders to conservative influencers at the White House that critics said contained largely repetitive material.

Months later, the situation shifted again after a Justice Department memo indicated there was no evidence of a client list and determined Epstein’s death had been ruled a suicide.

Following passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November, Justice Department officials moved to roll out the records in phases rather than releasing everything at once.

Trump publicly questioned Bondi’s performance during that period, raising concerns about the pace of investigations tied to figures including former FBI Director James Comey, Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Blanche also rejected a report suggesting Bondi had tipped off Rep. Eric Swalwell regarding FBI plans tied to files involving Christine Fang.

🚔 A decorated officer is behind bars 🚔 Stand with Lt. Shane Lamond and fight back against federal overreach! ➡️➡️➡️ Support his legal defense and help protect those who serve DONATE NOW!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

“I would not believe that for a second — absolutely, positively not,” Blanche said when asked about the report.

Behind the scenes, reports indicated Trump had grown frustrated with Bondi’s leadership, describing her as ineffective in enforcing priorities.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles also criticized Bondi’s approach in comments to Vanity Fair.

“I think she completely whiffed on appreciating that that was the very targeted group that cared about this,” Wiles said.

Wiles also described how the rollout of materials landed. She said Bondi distributed “binders full of nothingness,” and made the situation worse by claiming a client list existed when it did not.

Trump announced Bondi’s removal in a Truth Social post, praising her personally while speaking about the transition.

He described her as a “Great American Patriot” and a “loyal friend,” adding that she would move into a role in the private sector.

At the same time, Trump elevated Blanche, describing him as a “respected Legal Mind” and indicating he would step in as acting attorney general while a permanent replacement is considered.

Blanche said he was prepared to take on the role. “The Department of Justice is working hard every day,” he said. “It was working hard yesterday, and we’re going to keep on working hard tomorrow, and I’m honored that President Trump has asked me to step in.”

He also credited Bondi’s tenure. “We are a better Justice Department, we are safer as a nation, and we should all be very grateful to the attorney general for her sacrifice for this country and for what she did,” Blanche added.

Bondi addressed her departure in a statement on social media, outlining what she described as the department’s accomplishments.

“Leading President Trump’s historic and highly successful efforts to make America safer and more secure has been the honor of a lifetime,” she wrote.

She continued with a list of outcomes she attributed to the administration. “Since February 2025, we have secured the lowest murder rate in 125 years, secured first-ever terrorism convictions against members of Antifa, shattered domestic and transnational gangs across the country, taken custody of more than 90 key cartel figures, and won 24 favorable rulings at the Supreme Court.”

Bondi added that she remained grateful to Trump as she prepares to transition out of the role.

She said she would assist in the transition over the coming month before moving into the private sector.

Her departure marked the second Cabinet-level shakeup in a matter of weeks following changes at the Department of Homeland Security.

Border czar Tom Homan said the administration would continue its agenda without disruption.

“I think Todd Blanche will step up and won’t skip a beat,” Homan said during an appearance on “The Will Cain Show.” “I think you keep that train on the track. We’ll keep moving forward.”

He said he had not been aware of the move in advance. “Well, of course, I wasn’t in the loop on that,” Homan added, before describing his working relationships.

“But Pam Bondi, look, we have a close relationship. I have her cell phone, a personal cell phone number. We talked quite a bit. Same with Todd Blanche. I talk to Todd Blanche very frequently to talk about immigration cases, right?”

He continued, outlining the areas where coordination had taken place. “Not only prosecuting smugglers and traffickers but suing sanctuary cities and taking action against agitators that have assaulted ICE agents. So I’ve got a close relationship with both. I wish Pam Bondi the best.”

Democrats responded with scathing remarks on social media after Bondi’s removal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote, “Good riddance. Pam Bondi was the wrong choice from the start.”

“The rot at the Department of Justice begins and ends with Donald Trump,” Schumer added. “As long as his focus is on using DOJ as a tool for revenge and not law enforcement, the cover-up of the Epstein files, along with the countless other problems at DOJ, will continue.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren also weighed in, slamming Bondi’s record. “Pam Bondi will be remembered for blocking the release of the Epstein files, weaponizing the DOJ to go after Trump’s political opponents, and handing out merger approvals as political favors,” Warren wrote. “Under AG Pam Bondi, the DOJ became a cesspool of corruption. Good riddance.”

Sen. Adam Schiff chimed in to accuse Bondi of undermining the department’s role.

“Countless and baseless political investigations, hundreds of career law enforcement professionals purged, a massive cover-up of the Epstein files, and a wholesale effort to turn the department into a criminal law firm representing the person of the president instead of the American people,” Schiff said.

He added that Bondi’s tenure reflected broader issues tied to Trump’s leadership.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries gave her a nasty sendoff. “Pam Bondi is a partisan, petulant, political hack. And now she’s GONE,” Jeffries wrote.

Tags:

You might be interested in

Clark Kelley

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Latest from Blog