FBI deputy director Bongino mulls resignation over Epstein memo fallout

The FBI and Justice Department are facing backlash after revealing Jeffrey Epstein had no "client list" and refusing to release more records, fueling anger among Trump supporters and conspiracy theorists.

In Short

• Conflict arose over the release of Epstein case records, angering right-wing groups.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel deny blocking file release.
• A memo stated Epstein had no client list, contradicting Bondi's earlier claim.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino is said to be seriously considering resignation amid an intensifying rift between the FBI and the Justice Department over the Trump administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to several people familiar with the matter.

The internal fallout exploded during a tense White House meeting on Wednesday, pitting Bongino against Attorney General Pam Bondi in a fiery exchange over the government’s refusal to release additional records tied to the Epstein sex trafficking investigation, a move that has enraged right-wing influencers and further fuelled conspiracy theories.

“All of us signed off on the contents of the memo,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later said in an attempt to downplay the tension. “The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership is patently false.”

Sources say Bongino clashed with Bondi over a conservative media report suggesting the FBI had been prepared to release the files months earlier but was blocked by the Justice Department. While Bondi, Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel publicly refuted the premise, Bongino was conspicuously absent from the denials.

According to far-right activist Laura Loomer, who is close to President Donald Trump, Bongino has told people he is “seriously thinking about resigning” and even took Friday off to weigh his options. The normally outspoken Bongino has been unusually silent on social media since Wednesday.

“The search for truth in the Epstein case should never be about political theatre,” said a senior DOJ official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But unfortunately, that’s where this has landed.”

The dispute stems from the release of a two-page memo this week stating that Epstein had no “client list,” contradicting Bondi’s earlier claim that such a list sat on her desk. The memo also said no further documents would be released, citing court orders and victim privacy. A video purporting to show Epstein’s suicide was included in the release but was quickly met with scepticism due to a minute of missing footage reigniting speculation among conspiracy-minded Trump supporters.

“The cascade of disappointment and disbelief lays bare the struggles of FBI and Justice Department leaders,” one official said, noting the administration had stoked expectations of a bombshell reveal.

In February, conservative influencers were invited to the White House and handed binders labelled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” and “Declassified” most of which included material already publicly available.

Despite those underwhelming disclosures, Bondi had promised that a “truckload” of new evidence was still being reviewed by the FBI. But this week’s memo concluded that no further disclosures were appropriate.

- Ends
Inputs from Associated Press