Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’; Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

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By Raw Story. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) Wednesday delivered a scathing opening statement and directly criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi, accusing her of deliberately blocking the investigation into late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Raskin, a ranking member, was one of several lawmakers questioning Bondi during a House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill. In a fiery speech, he demanded answers from Bondi about the Epstein files and investigation, and recent Department of Justice actions — reminding her that her clients are the American people — not President Donald Trump.

“But to promote justice for the people, you’ve got to listen to the victims like the women seated behind you today,” Raskin said. “Those are just some of the hundreds of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s global sex trafficking ring who are demanding that the truth be told and are demanding accountability for the abusers who trafficked and raped them you still haven’t met with these survivors.” . . .

“Now, you’re not showing a lot of interest in the victims, madam attorney general, whether it’s Epstein’s human trafficking ring or the homicidal governmental violence against citizens in Minneapolis, as attorney general, you’re siding with the perpetrators and you’re ignoring the victims that will be your legacy unless you act quickly to change course,” Raskin said.

“You’re running a massive Epstein coverup right out of the Department of Justice,” Raskin said. “You’ve been ordered by subpoena and by Congress to turn over 6 million documents, photographs and videos in the Epstein files but you’ve turned over only 3 million.” (Read more from “Lawmaker Rips Pam Bondi in Scathing Opening: ‘You’re Running a Massive Epstein Cover-Up’” HERE)

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Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’

By The Hill. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday slammed Attorney General Pam Bondi’s defense of how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has handled the release of files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrery Epstein.

“The recourse, and I keep reminding the folks at DOJ this, is that the next attorney general can bring charges against them for breaking the law,” Massie told reporters, after the attorney general’s combative testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee.

“I think that’s what’s compelled them to produce 3 million documents. And now they’re claiming that it’s incompetence,” he added. “But [Bondi’s] defense today is incompetence for why they haven’t given us all the documents they should, why they have over-redacted in the case of co-conspirators and why they failed to redact the names of the victims.”

During the hearing, Bondi got into shouting matches with multiple Democratic lawmakers, who criticized the DOJ’s slow release of the Epstein files, particularly the redactions of numerous individuals and failures to conceal the names of victims.

At least 11 victims of Epstein were in the audience — with some wearing shirts referencing the redactions. When Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) asked the victims to raise their hands if they had not yet met with the DOJ, they each lifted a hand. (Read more from “>Massie: Bondi Defense in Hearing Was ‘Incompetence’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Under Trump’s Direction, DOT Moves to Bar Unvetted Foreign Drivers From U.S. Trucking Industry

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The Trump administration finalized a major safety reform on Wednesday that blocks unvetted foreign nationals from obtaining commercial driver’s licenses, ending a system that allowed tens of thousands of drivers with unknown or dangerous histories to legally operate heavy trucks and buses in the United States. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the rule “ends a safety loophole that has wreaked havoc on our roadways.”

Secretary Duffy unveiled a sweeping new federal rule aimed at shutting down a long‑standing safety loophole that allowed unqualified foreign nationals to obtain commercial driver’s licenses in the United States. The rule, issued under President Donald Trump’s direction, bars states from licensing truck and bus drivers whose driving histories cannot be verified through consular or interagency screening—closing a gap federal officials say has put dangerous, unvetted drivers behind the wheel of 80,000‑pound commercial vehicles and contributed to a series of deadly crashes nationwide.

“For far too long, America has allowed dangerous foreign drivers to abuse our truck licensing systems – wreaking havoc on our roadways. This safety loophole ends today,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in Wednesday’s announcement. “Moving forward, unqualified foreign drivers will be unable to get a license to operate an 80,000-pound big rig. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first. From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head-on.”

DOT officials say the reforms address safety concerns raised following a series of fatal crashes involving non-domiciled CDL truck drivers. The new rule will enable consular and interagency screening to stop non-qualified drivers from obtaining or maintaining commercial driving permits. (Read more from “Under Trump’s Direction, DOT Moves to Bar Unvetted Foreign Drivers From U.S. Trucking Industry” HERE)

What Democrats Aren’t Saying About Their Judicial Warrant Demands For ICE

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Democrats are demanding federal agents obtain judicial warrants before arresting illegals on private property, a move experts liken to a Trojan horse that would weaken American immigration enforcement for years to come.

Judicial warrants have become a flashpoint in immigration enforcement, with sanctuary jurisdictions increasingly claiming that administrative warrants are not enough and a judge’s signature should be a prerequisite to any type of cooperation. Capitol Hill Democrats have seized on the issue, threatening to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) if judicial warrants — along with body cameras and uniform requirements — aren’t mandated for personnel on the ground.

“Requiring a judicial warrant for every ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] arrest would severely weaken the agency’s ability to enforce the law, and it would overwhelm the courts, which is likely what anti-ICE advocates in Congress are attempting to accomplish,” Tony Pham, who previously served as acting ICE director during the final months of the first Trump administration, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The chances of Republicans adopting Democrat demands to curtail Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are basically nil, a Republican staffer involved in the negotiations told the DCNF, describing the demands as non-starters.

The demand for judicial warrants among the left reached a fever pitch after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti amid anti-ICE protests in January. The incidents sparked Democrats like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to equate immigration enforcement to Nazism and prompted party members in Washington, D.C., to threaten a DHS shutdown unless a list of reforms are met. (Read more from “What Democrats Aren’t Saying About Their Judicial Warrant Demands For ICE” HERE)

Just One Democrat Votes For Trump-Backed Election Integrity Bill

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The House of Representatives passed a revamped version of a Trump-backed election integrity bill on Wednesday evening with little help from Democrats.

Lawmakers voted 216-213 to approve the SAVE America Act with just one Democratic lawmaker joining Republicans in support of the measure. The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, enacts a voter ID requirement at the ballot box long sought by Republicans and prohibits mail-only voter registrations.

Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar was the lone Democrat to buck House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and support the election integrity bill.

Democrats argued the legislation’s requirements would erect barriers impeding millions of eligible voters, including married women who have changed their last names or Americans that do not have their birth certificates. Republicans countered that most states already have voter identification requirements and turnout has not been affected.

The GOP-controlled House of Representatives has passed versions of the SAVE Act over recent years, though the legislation has stalled in the Senate due to opposition from Democrats. (Read more from “Just One Democrat Votes For Trump-Backed Election Integrity Bill” HERE)

Epstein Jerky: What it Means and How it Fueled Cannibalism and Ritualistic Sacrifice Claims

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When the US Department of Justice released more than three million records related to Jeffrey Epstein in January 2026, the trove quickly became fodder for online speculation. Among the most incendiary claims circulating on social media were assertions that the documents referenced cannibalism and accused Epstein or people in his orbit of participating in “ritualistic sacrifice.”

A review by Snopes confirmed that the Justice Department’s records do contain references to cannibalism and to allegations of ritualistic violence. The documents, however, do not substantiate the accusations. . .

The most graphic allegations appear in summaries of a purported 2019 interview between FBI officials and an anonymous man described in the records as a “purported victim” of Epstein’s abuse. According to the summaries, the man claimed that he had witnessed acts of “ritualistic sacrifice” aboard Epstein’s yacht in 2000, including the dismemberment of babies. The records state that the man provided no corroborating evidence.

In one version of the interview, an agent concluded that the claims did not warrant further investigative resources. The Justice Department files also note that the man did not allege cannibalism during the interview, though he claimed that individuals consumed human feces. The FBI declined to comment when asked why the allegations were not pursued.

Some appear in unrelated contexts: media summaries, an academic syllabus, a transcript of a conversation between Epstein and an associate, and — most notably — an email in which Epstein mentions jerky and “a restaurant called Cannibal.” That reference, involving food and dining rather than violence, has nonetheless been cited online as proof of darker conduct[.] (Read more from “Epstein Jerky: What it Means and How it Fueled Cannibalism and Ritualistic Sacrifice Claims” HERE)

Who Are the Six Men Named in the Unredacted Epstein Files?

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By The Guardian. Ro Khanna, the US congressman, publicly revealed the names of six men whose identities were redacted from the Jeffrey Epstein files, including Leslie Wexner, a billionaire retail magnate, whom the FBI appeared to have labeled as a co-conspirator.

The Democratic representative of California disclosed the names during a floor speech on Tuesday, following a visit to the Department of Justice, where he and Thomas Massie, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, spent two hours reviewing unredacted documents.

The six men named by Khanna are Wexner, the Victoria’s Secret founder; Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO of DP World and an Emirati billionaire businessman; and four others identified as Nicola Caputo, Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov.

Khanna did not provide evidence of wrongdoing against any of them nor have they been charged with a crime in connection with Epstein.

“If we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3m files,” Khanna said during his floor speech. (Read more from “Who Are the Six Men Named in the Unredacted Epstein Files?” HERE)

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Epstein files: Congresswoman says she has own list of names to depose

By News Nation. In the aftermath of Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna reading the names of six previously redacted names in the Jeffrey Epstein files, Congresswoman Nancy Mace says she has her own list of people she would like to subpoena in the case.

“I took a lot of notes. I saw a lot of names,” the South Carolina Republican said during a Tuesday appearance on “Katie Pavlich Tonight.” “I wanted to look at the documents of the people who have not been arrested or investigated. A lot of that information is still redacted.” . . .

Mace stated in her findings she found names of several women who were possible co-conspirators with Epstein.

The names belong to “adult women who were recruiting young women and potentially underage individuals to give to Jeffrey Epstein,” she said. “Really disgusting behavior. These are people that I want to have brought in, tesitfy and answer some very tough questions.”

“I’m very concerned as a survivor about protecting the personal information, the names of underage children of some of these women that was put out in the public. And it’s also, it’s shaming. It’s victim shaming,” Mace said. (Read more from “Epstein files: Congresswoman says she has own list of names to depose” HERE)

Epstein Files: Questions Swirl Over Redacted 2009 Email With Subject Line ‘Trump’

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The subject line reads “Trump.”

The date is Oct. 14, 2009.

The email is from criminal defense attorney Jack Goldberger to his client, Jeffrey Epstein — which Epstein in turn forwarded to his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Spoke to Alan Garten, Trump’s attorney [redaction],” Goldberger wrote. “Garten arranged a 20 minute phone conference with Trump and Brad in lieu of a depo.. Following was discussed:” . . .

The document, ABC News has confirmed, was among those materials reviewed in unredacted form by some members of Congress on Monday, following the Justice Department’s major release of files from its probe into Epstein, the late sex offender who died by suicide in 2019.

Among those who reviewed the email was Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, who said it was “puzzling” why the document was redacted in the first place. Raskin also said the message’s content “seems to be at odds” with some of the things President Trump has said about the end of his association with Epstein in the 2000s. (Read more from “Epstein Files: Questions Swirl Over Redacted 2009 Email With Subject Line ‘Trump’” HERE)

Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads the Fifth but Says She’d ‘Speak Fully and Honestly’ if Trump Grants Her Clemency

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Jeffrey Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions from the House Oversight Committee on Monday, but her attorney said she is “prepared to speak fully and honestly” if President Donald Trump grants her clemency.

“Only she can provide the complete account” of Epstein’s actions, David Oscar Markus said in a statement after Maxwell’s brief virtual appearance before the panel in the morning, where she invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

“Some may not like what they hear, but the truth matters. For example, both President Trump and President Clinton are innocent of any wrongdoing. Ms. Maxwell alone can explain why, and the public is entitled to that explanation,” Markus said, sharing what he said he told the panel.

Markus said he told committee members his client “would very much like to answer your questions,” but she “must remain silent because Ms. Maxwell has a habeas petition currently pending that demonstrates that her conviction rests on a fundamentally unfair trial.”

That would change if she’s granted clemency, the statement said. Trump has not publicly ruled out pardoning Maxwell. “I haven’t thought about it for months. Maybe I haven’t thought about it at all,” he told reporters on Air Force One in November. “I don’t talk about that. I don’t rule it in or out,” he said then. (Read more from “Ghislaine Maxwell Pleads the Fifth but Says She’d ‘Speak Fully and Honestly’ if Trump Grants Her Clemency” HERE)

Epstein Email Reveals Twisted Hidden Cameras Plot

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The latest tranche of Epstein files includes a 2014 email from the infamous sexual predator asking his personal pilot to purchase and place tiny hidden cameras for him around his home in Palm Beach, Florida. While it’s unclear where exactly the cameras were placed and what they were used for, it’s not a far stretch to infer that they aided Epstein in his trafficking and abuse in some way—especially as multiple victims have reported that they felt they were being recorded when visiting his properties.

“Lets get three motion detected hidden cameras, that record, thanks. also a new airplay compatible receiver for gym thanks,” Epstein wrote to his pilot, Larry Visoski, in February 2014, as first reported by The Telegraph.

“Jeffrey, I already two purchased the Motion sensor camera from the Spy Store in Fort Lauderdale yesterday, I charged them last night and figuring our how to work them as we speak,” Visoski wrote back. “Its amazing how small they are, the size of Thumb nail drive, 64 hour recording, Motion sensor. I’m installing them into Kleenex boxes now. I’ll bring them by later today, I just had a Root Canal done, so I’m still hurting.” (Read more from “Epstein Email Reveals Twisted Hidden Cameras Plot” HERE)

White House Defends Commerce Secretary After Bombshell Revelation of Visit to Epstein’s Pedo Island

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President Donald Trump continues to back Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick after Lutnick admitted having visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island before a Senate committee Tuesday.

“Secretary Lutnick remains a very important member of President Trump’s team, and the President fully supports the secretary,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a briefing Tuesday.

In an October podcast interview with New York Post Editor Miranda Devine, Lutnick had said that he and his wife did not pursue any kind of relationship with Epstein after moving next door and meeting him in 2005. They were, according to Lutnick, put off by some comments Epstein made about his massage table while giving them a tour of his home.

“My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again. So I was never in the room with him socially, for business, or even philanthropy. If that guy was there, I wasn’t going because he’s gross,” Lutnick said. “So yeah, that’s my story, a one and absolutely done.”

But recently disclosed documents from the Epstein files revealed that Lutnick did, in fact, maintain a relationship with Epstein including investing in a business together, meeting for drinks, discussing neighboring property development and invitations to dinners and galas, until 2018. Several emails also suggested that Lutnick had at least tried to visit Epstein’s island while spending some time in the Caribbean on vacation. (Read more from “White House Defends Commerce Secretary After Bombshell Revelation of Visit to Epstein’s Pedo Island” HERE)