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() A source close to the White House told on Wednesday that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino would unseal evidence related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein if their department had the ability to do so.

“I believe with full certainty that if Kash Patel and Dan Bongino had the power to operate separately from the DOJ, that they would have unsealed and released every single piece of evidence they could, while protecting victims, months ago,” the source close to the White House said.

In a page-and-a-half memo released Monday, the Department of Justice and FBI stated they concluded an “exhaustive review” into Epstein’s death, while adding they did not find a “client list” in the evidence collected as part of the investigation. The memo added that no further evidence would be released related to the case.

President Donald Trump scoffed at the ongoing interest in Epstein during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday when Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked about the investigation’s findings. Bondi previously said officials were reviewing a “truckload” of evidence that was previously withheld.

Trump said, “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein? This guy’s been talked about for years. I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this, where we’re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas it just seems like a desecration.”

Nonetheless, the conclusion of the Epstein federal investigation has resulted in criticism from the MAGA elite.

“The American people deserve to know truth ref. Epstein, regardless of who it impacts,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Tuesday in a post on the social media platform X.

Megyn Kelly responded on her podcast to Trump’s remarks, saying, “Good grief! That was no bueno, guys! That was no bueno, OK? President Trump had the same problem there that Karoline Leavitt had yesterday. The dodge should not be obvious. It should be subtle. It should be deftly worked into a more substantive answer.”

Elon Musk, who has recently become a vocal critic of the president, wrote on X, “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?”

Trump’s attorney general under fire after Epstein’s ‘client list’ announcement

The pressure has been ramped up on Bondi following the DOJ’s memo stating there was no “client list.”

Prior to Monday’s announcement, Bondi had stated such a list was “sitting on her desk” in response to the first phase of the Trump administration’s release of the Epstein files.   

Conservative host Liz Wheeler, who received a binder labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase 1” from Bondi at the White House, said Tuesday on ’s “CUOMO” that the list was never on the attorney general’s desk. 

“Pam Bondi has become a liability to him (Trump) because people care about this story, they care, not so much because they care about the Epstein list itself, but because they care about justice,” Wheeler said. “That’s what they voted for, they voted for justice, they voted for transparency, and they’re not getting either of those things with an unforced error from Pam Bondi.”

The source close to the White House lamented that the “attorney general should have the courage to address these questions herself, or she will never retain an ounce of credibility again.”

After publication, the FBI and DOJ told they stood by the Epstein investigation memo released Monday. 

“The DOJ and FBI reviewed the Epstein Files and reached the conclusion set out in the July 6th memo. Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution,” Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told in a joint statement.
“The memo released on July 6th is consistent with the thorough review conducted by the FBI and DOJ. The criminal leakers and Fake News media tries tirelessly to undermine President Trump with smears and lies, and this story is no different,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a provided statement to .

How the DOJ, FBI can hide information from the public: Former special agent

On Monday, a source close to the White House told that “the DOJ holds the keys to what’s under seal in this case, and so far, they’ve refused to unlock the truth. … If she (Bondi) has nothing to hide, she should explain why she still hasn’t unsealed the documents she’s sitting on at the DOJ.”

Jonathan Gilliam, former Navy SEAL and FBI special agent, told there are ways the DOJ and FBI can hide information from the public and the courts. 

He says that typically, the DOJ makes decisions about sealing documents from the public, usually signed off on by a judge, while the FBI can classify intelligence.

“With this structure in mind, there are places that information can be hidden under seal or classification from (the Freedom of Information Act) without anyone outside of a particular investigation ever knowing,” Gilliam said. 

While most of the time it’s used ethically, there are situations where information could be hidden away from anyone not “read in” on the case, he said. 

“Public corruption cases can fall into this black hole, and oddly, be treated like national security intelligence,” Gilliam said. “When that happens, only the people with access to that case will know that information is there, and if someone doesn’t have access, they won’t be able to see it even if they tried.”