On Thursday, a gang of social media influencers dependable to President Donald Trump walked out of the White Space and temporarily took to social media to gloat about their haul: Every were given a big white binder studying, “The Epstein Files: Phase 1.”
Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi pledged previous within the week to unlock what knowledge the government had accumulated on Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in jail looking forward to trial on intercourse trafficking fees in 2019.
However the binders didn’t seem to include any new knowledge. A watermark around the entrance learn “DECLASSIFIED,” nevertheless it was once now not transparent whether or not any of the guidelines within had ever been technically categorised.
A lot of the guidelines surrounding Epstein — flight logs, pages of his so-called little black e-book — has already been made public during the last a number of years because of complaints and quite a lot of media shops. A model of the information is even to be had for simply $5 on Amazon.
Political commentator Rogan O’Handley, aka DC Draino, and others wearing binders bearing the seal of america Justice Division studying “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” stroll out of the West Wing of the White Space on Feb. 27.
JIM WATSON by way of Getty Photographs
Bondi has claimed that the FBI is withholding positive details about the Epstein case, and that she remains to be running to discover it. In a observation issued Thursday, Bondi stated that she “has requested the FBI deliver the remaining [Epstein] documents to the Department by 8:00 AM on February 28 and has tasked FBI Director Kash Patel with investigating why the request for all documents was not followed.”
She steered the purpose of the binder stunt was once to “shed light on Epstein’s extensive network and begin to provide the public with long overdue accountability” for the reason that paperwork — in spite of being simple to google — had up to now now not been “released in a formal capacity by the U.S. government.”
One of the vital influencers, Rogan O’Handley, referred to as DC Draino on-line, livestreamed himself flipping thru his binder’s contents, appearing many pages of what seemed to be flight logs.
Over 100 pages of Epstein’s flight logs, with a couple of redactions, were made public in December 2021 as a part of the federal government’s case in opposition to Ghislaine Maxwell, who was once discovered to blame of serving to Epstein and sentenced to two decades in jail in 2022. Different paperwork had been launched during the last a number of years as a part of a swimsuit in opposition to Maxwell via a sufferer, Virginia Giuffre, who says she was once recruited as a young person to offer sexual favors to Epstein and buddies like Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Epstein’s black e-book of telephone numbers and get in touch with knowledge was once printed via the now-defunct weblog Gawker in 2015, revealing an access for Trump. Flight logs printed up to now have already published that Trump and previous President Invoice Clinton had flown on Epstein’s personal jet up to now, in conjunction with twiglet Naomi Campbell, disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, and plenty of extra.
Some other, Savanah Hernandez, downplayed the binders’ contents on X, pronouncing that “this morning’s meeting is a part of the Trump admin’s push to bring independent journalists and media to speak directly to the highest members of the administration in an effort to be the most transparent admin in history.”
Kraus claimed on Instagram that Trump informed the influencers accumulated within the Oval Administrative center that they had been “the most trusted media now.”
She steered the stunt was once a part of the White Space’s ongoing efforts to wrest keep watch over of the clicking pool from the mainstream shops that experience coated the president and the ones round him for plenty of a long time and provides it to handpicked social media influencers as an alternative.
“Our inclusion has officially broken their monopoly over White House access,” Kraus wrote.
Over a span of a long time, Epstein sexually abused women as younger as 14 from his quite a lot of high-end houses in New York, Florida, New Mexico and his personal Caribbean island.
Pass Advert-Unfastened — And Offer protection to The Unfastened Press
The following 4 years will exchange The united states ceaselessly. However HuffPost may not go into reverse relating to offering unfastened and independent journalism.
For the primary time, we are providing an ad-free revel in. to qualifying participants who fortify our fearless journalism. We are hoping you can sign up for us.
For the primary time, we are providing an ad-free revel in. to qualifying participants who fortify our fearless journalism. We are hoping you can sign up for us.
Make stronger HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to cover those messages.
He performed a slap-on-the-wrist sentence in 2008 that concerned being housed in a non-public wing of an area prison, which allowed him to depart each day on “work release.” In 2019, he was once arrested via the FBI, however lower than two months later Epstein was once discovered useless in his jail cellular.