Donald Trump’s attorney-general has dodged questions about whether the FBI found photos of the US president with half-naked young women while searching Jeffrey Epstein’s home.
Attorney-General Pam Bondi was testifying before the Senate when she was asked about the pictures by Democratic politician Sheldon Whitehouse.
“There’s been public reporting that Jeffrey Epstein showed people photos of President Trump with half-naked young women,” Whitehouse said.
Attorney-General Pam Bondi backtracked on her claim she had the Epstein client list “sitting on her desk”. (AP)
“Do you know if the FBI found those photographs in their search of Jeffrey Epstein’s safe or premises or otherwise?
“Have you ever seen such a thing?”
Bondi replied by tying Whitehouse to Reid Hoffman, a wealthy Democratic donor who had connections to Epstein.
“You know, Senator Whitehouse, you sit here and make salacious remarks once again trying to slander President Trump left and right when you are the one who was taking money from one of Epstein’s closest confidants, I believe.
“I could be wrong, correct me, Reid Hoffman, who was with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions, and the senator sitting right next to you tried to block the flight logs from being released, yet you’re grilling me on President Trump and some photograph with Epstein?
Hoffman has admitted travelling to Epstein’s notorious island but has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Donald Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein has been in the spotlight in recent months. (AP)
In a lengthy interview with reporter Michael Wolff before his death, Epstein reportedly showed photos of Trump with topless young women sitting in his lap.
Wolff claims to have more than 100 hours of recordings of interviews with Epstein.
“I was Donald’s closest friend for 10 years,” Epstein reportedly told Wolff.
While Trump has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including a jury ruling he raped a woman, he has not been tied to wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.
Bondi has been heavily criticised for changing her tune on the Epstein investigation since she took over the Department of Justice.
In an interview in February, Bondi said Epstein’s purported client list was “sitting on my desk right now”.
Then, in July, the Department of Justice announced the client list did not exist.
Jeffrey Epstein was a notorious child sex trafficker and friend to many powerful people. (US Attorney of the Southern District of New York)
Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 after he was arrested and charged with child sex trafficking.
The wealthy financier and high-flyer faced myriad accusations of sex abuse against underage girls.
Yesterday, Trump said he would consider granting a pardon or clemency to Epstein’s partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“You know, I haven’t heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I’d have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look,” he said.
Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein at a Victoria’s Secret Angels event in 1997. (Getty)
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has continued to refuse to swear in newly elected representative Adelita Grijalva.
Grijalva would be the crucial vote in forcing the release of the government’s files on Epstein.
Other representatives elected in special elections this year have been sworn in the next day.
But Grijalva has waited two weeks without being sworn in, despite her landslide victory in Arizona’s 7th congressional district.
Donald Trump with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2000, with their respective partners Melania Knauss (now Trump) and Ghislaine Maxwell at the president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. (Getty)
Johnson denied the delay was related to the Epstein files.
“No, it has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back. It’s a ceremonial duty,” Johnson said.
