Furor over Epstein files sparks clash between Bondi and Bongino at the Justice Department

WASHINGTON: The Justice Department and FBI are struggling to contain the fallout from this week’s decision to withhold records from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation, which rankled influential far-right media personalities and supporters of President Donald Trump.

The move, which included the acknowledgment that one particular sought-after document never actually existed, sparked a contentious conversation between Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino at the White House this week. The spat threatened to shatter relations between them and centered in part on a news story that described divisions between the FBI and the Justice Department.

The cascade of disappointment and disbelief arising from the refusal to disclose additional, much-hyped records from the Epstein investigation underscores the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders to resolve the conspiracy theories and amped-up expectations that they themselves had stoked with claims of a cover-up and hidden evidence. Infuriated by the failure of officials to unlock, as promised, the secrets of the so-called “deep state,” Trump supporters on the far right have grown restless and even demanded change at the top.

Trump expressed frustration in a social media posting on Saturday over the divide among diehards of his “Make America Great Again” movement over the matter, and expressed support for Bondi. His lengthy post made no mention of Bongino.

“What’s going on with my ‘boys’ and, in some cases, ‘gals?’” Trump wrote. “They’re all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We’re on one Team, MAGA, and I don’t like what’s happening.”

Tensions that simmered for months boiled over on Monday when the Justice Department and FBI issued a two-page statement saying that they had concluded that Epstein did not possess a “client list,” even though Bondi had intimated in February that such a document was sitting on her desk, and had decided against releasing any additional records from the investigation.

The department did disclose a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself in jail, but even that raised the eyebrows of conspiracy theorists because of a missing minute in the recording.

It was hardly the first time that Trump administration officials have failed to fulfill their pledge to deliver the evidence that supporters had come to expect.

In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and provided with binders marked “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified.” But the binders contained information that had largely already been in the public domain.

Afterward, Bondi said an FBI “source” informed her of the existence of thousands of pages of previously undisclosed documents and ordered the bureau to provide the “full and complete Epstein files.” She later said officials were poring over a “truckload” of previously withheld evidence she said had been handed over by the FBI.

But after a months-long review of evidence in the government’s possession, the Justice Department determined in the memo Monday that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.” The department noted that much of the material was placed under seal by a court to protect victims, and “only a fraction” of it “would have been aired publicly had Epstein gone to trial.”

The Trump administration had hoped that that statement would be the final word on the saga, with Trump chiding a reporter who asked Bondi about the Epstein case at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

But Bondi and Bongino had a tense exchange the following day at the White House, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private conversation.

Part of the clash centered on a story from the news organization NewsNation that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.

The news publication Axios was first to describe the conversation.

Blanche sought to stem the fallout Friday with a social media post in which he said he had worked closely with Patel and Bongino on the Epstein matter and the joint memo.

“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo and the conclusions stated in the memo. The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false,” he wrote on X.

Also Friday, far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to Trump, posted on X that she was told that Bongino was “seriously thinking about resigning” and had taken the day off to contemplate his future. Bongino is normally an active presence on social media but has been silent since Wednesday.

The FBI did not respond to a request seeking comment, and the White House sought in a statement to minimize any tensions.

“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” said spokesman Harrison Fields. “This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity. Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”

ARSLANBAP: Rustling through fallen golden leaves, locals in a forest outside Arslanbob in the Kyrgyz mountains were scurrying for walnuts — an ancient pastime and economic lifeline for the region.
But the forest, the world’s largest wild walnut grove, has for years been slowly fading — hit by the overgrazing of livestock, illegal logging and rising temperatures.
“The forest used to be so dense but it has thinned out,” said Asel Alisheva, a pensioner from the village, officially known as Arslanbap, who has been foraging there for decades.
She was once afraid to venture too far into the wood.
“It used to be impossible to walk through. Now there are so many people,” she told AFP.
“The difference is striking,” the 70-year-old added as she cracked walnuts in a roadside tent.
Locals have gathered the earthy tough-shelled nuts here for generations.
They are both an economic staple and a symbol of the Jalal-Abad region.
“Nowhere else in the world is there such a large concentration of natural walnut forests,” said regional forestry expert Zakir Sarymsakov.
He also highlighted the “vast variety” of walnut species that can be found in the region.
For locals, walnuts are a bread-and-butter issue.
“This is how we make a living. There are no other ways, only walnuts. This is how we feed our children,” said Arno Narynbaeva, 53, who has been picking them since childhood.

- Poor harvests -

At the bustling village bazaar, men stack bulging walnut sacks, while women do the trade.
But business has seen better days — the harvests have been poor lately.
“In the 2000s, we used to receive large quantities, up to 15 tons per day. These days, we get three to four, and it decreases year by year,” seller Zhazgul Omurzakova said.
“The climate is getting hotter and drier every year, and the nuts are losing their quality, turning red inside,” the 47-year-old said.
Whiter kernels are worth more as the nuts’ visual appeal is important for pastry-makers.
“Hot weather harms the walnuts. They fall, burn, and turn black,” said picker Narynbaeva.
“We have never seen this happen before.”
Average temperatures in Central Asia have risen by about 1.5C since 1991, twice the global average, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN climate agency.
More frequent droughts that accompany the hotter weather have also hit the walnut groves.
Locals are trying to address the problem, including by seeding millions of trees in the Arslanbob forest nursery.
But water shortages, chronic across Central Asia, have hit those efforts.
“Over the past two to three years, there has been no rain, and it has become hot,” said Temir Emirov, who works in the tree nursery.
“The ground has dried out, and the grass has withered,” he added.
“The seedlings haven’t received water for a month and are using their own moisture to survive.”

- ‘Big plans’ -

Other human activity is also taking a toll on the forest.
“Since we don’t have pastures, livestock is a problem,” said chief forest ranger Ibragim Turgunbekov.
Cattle herds, expanding in size and number, have trampled the soil and eaten young shoots.
Illegal logging — with locals preferring trees over more expensive coal for firewood — has also thinned out the forest.
Ranger Turgunbekov issues fines and tries to convince farmers to reduce the size of their herds.
Local imams have even called on their followers to help preserve the walnut trees.
Some want stricter measures, such as taxing surplus livestock or a government ban on grazing near settlements.
Turgunbekov said a solution could be better utilising the walnuts’ economic potential.
“If we make perfumes or oils out of walnuts and ship them to Europe, their value will increase,” he said.
“By selling at higher prices, locals will be more motivated and will take better care of the forest.”
Abdulaziz Khalmuradov, 16, is one of the region’s young people trying to do just that.
After school, he makes walnut oil using a traditional press.
“I want to increase the number of machines and produce not only walnut oil but also many other types, such as apricot oil,” the aspiring entrepreneur told AFP.
He also wants to push sustainable tourism to the region.
“Tourism in Arslanbob is underdeveloped. If the number of tourists increases, volumes will increase,” he told AFP.
“When I grow up, I have big plans.”

Furor over Epstein files sparks clash between Bondi and Bongino at the Justice Department