When asked by Fox News host John Roberts, on February 21, 2025, whether the Department of Justice would ever release a “list of Jeffrey Epstein’s clients,” Attorney General Pam Bondi replied it was sitting on her desk and being reviewed. On July 7, 2025, Bondi released a memo saying Epstein had committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019. The memo also indicated there was no evidence that Epstein maintained a client list.
“There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”
The Justice Department was very specific in saying there was no evidence that Epstein maintained a client list. That doesn’t preclude the existence of a list or lists compiled by his aides, like Ghislane Maxwell, who is serving time in a Tallahassee prison after being convicted for child sex trafficking and several other sex-related offences involving Epstein and their friends. What about lists of uncharged third parties compiled by the FBI, the State of Florida, Palm Beach County, or other jurisdictions that investigated Epstein, ultimately giving him sweetheart deals and leaving his clients unnamed?
Epstein could have been stopped in 2005 when the stepmother of a 14-year-old girl reported that a wealthy man had molested her stepdaughter. An investigation found 13 girls allegedly in Epstein's network. One girl told a detective that she was taken upstairs to give Epstein a massage. When Epstein entered the room wearing only a towel, he sternly told the girl to remove her clothes. She stripped down to her bra and a thong. As she massaged him, he masturbated. Afterward, he paid her $300. The next day, she got into a fight at school after another girl called her a prostitute. She never went back to Epstein’s mansion.
The prosecutor, Barry Krischer, seemed determined to tank the case. He only scheduled three witnesses to testify against Epstein, ultimately calling one before the grand jury. The prosecutor made the girls appear to be prostitutes and entered MySpace images provided by the defense of the girls describing sex, drinking, and drugs. The attorney who gave the information to Krischer was Alan Derschowitz, who later would be accused of participating in sex acts with a young girl. The girl who accused Dershowitz later withdrew her complaint, stating that she may have been mistaken about Dershowitz after years of harassment from him and his lawyers.
Epstein’s lawyers and private detectives were relentless in attacking prospective witnesses. One victim’s father told a detective that private eyes are harassing his family, even running them off the road. Another says an Epstein “source” contacted her and said, “Those who help him will be compensated, and those who hurt him will be dealt with.” The incidents were reported to the state attorney’s office. Witness tampering can be a crime. Nothing happened.
When it became clear that Palm Beach County wasn’t serious about prosecuting Epstein, police chief Michael Reiter became alarmed at the handling of the case by state prosecutors and then the state attorney, Barry Krischer. On May 1, 2006, Reiter asked Krischer to remove himself from the case; when Krischer declined, Police Chief Reiter turned his evidence over to the FBI for federal prosecution. In 2007, then South Florida U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta decided not to prosecute Epstein in federal court and referred the matter back to the local jurisdiction.
Epstein’s lawyers began a “year-long assault on the prosecution and prosecutors.” One prosecutor deemed tough on sex crimes was removed for a conflict of interest after Epstein hired her husband’s law firm. Acosta eventually agreed to sign a controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2008, which was done without informing the victims as required by law. Epstein was ultimately convicted in state court on one count of soliciting a prostitute, for which he served 13 months under favorable conditions. Under his 2008 plea deal, Epstein was allowed to have his driver take him to and from his office, and he was permitted to be out of jail from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., six days a week. Deputies were assigned to the office to monitor who his visitors were. Logs indicate numerous visits from attorneys, paralegals, and other individuals involved in his legal cases. It wasn’t clear if all visitors were registered, however. Epstein was not allowed to leave the office unless he was returning to jail.
Over the years since his first arrest, Epstein (and Maxwell) faced multiple civil lawsuits and criminal charges related to the sexual abuse of minors. While Epstein may not have a list, he and Maxwell certainly knew how to contact hundreds of girls who were involved with Epstein at his Palm Beach estate, Manhattan apartment, New Mexico ranch, and private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Virginia Guiffre alone testified to being trafficked to Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz (at least six times), among others. On 60 Minutes, Australlia described her experiences of being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew three times in 2001. The first time being in London at Maxwell’s Belgravia residence, the second at Epstein’s New York mansion, and the final occurrence (involving multiple girls and the Prince) on Little Saint James. If there were a list of Epstein clients/friends to be considered for investigation, Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz would be on it.
Another source of names would be those flying on Epstein’s private jet, nicknamed “The Lolita Express.” Having flown on a private plane isn’t proof of guilt, but it certainly makes one worthy of a closer look, especially if the destination was one of Epstein’s favorite play sites, including Little Saint James, his private island. Here is an abbreviated list of those who flew with Epstein.
- Donald J. Trump
- Bill Clinton
- Kevin Spacey
- Chris Tucker
- Bill Gates
- Prince Andrew
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Violinist Itzhak Perlman
- U.S. Sen. John Glenn
- Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell
I purposely downplayed Trump’s involvement until now. His own words indicate he knew of Epstein’s proclivity for young women.. Alex Acosta is a Trump friend and was forced to resign as Trump’s Secretary of Labor due to his role in the Epstein secret deal. Pam Bondi works for Trump. Mar-a-Lago was a favorite hunting ground for Epstein, where Guiffre and others were recruited. Trump's former friend, Elon Musk, said Trump’s name was contained in the Epstein files. None of this is proof of a crime, but Trump is worthy of being investigated.
It’s clear that Pam Bondi has immersed herself in the cover-up, protecting uncharged third parties. To tell us in February that the list is on her desk and later there is no list is beyond credulity. I have no opinion on whether Epstein committed suicide and, without additional evidence, am inclined to accept that he did. What I’m unwilling to accept is that there is no list of uncharged third parties, regardless of who compiled it. Based on public information, I could compile an initial list, and I’m sure the Justice Department has much more information.
The Justice Department made it clear that no further information will be released and that no investigations are currently taking place. It’s clear that at multiple levels of government, sex crimes against minors, when committed by wealthy men, are not taken seriously. Pam Bondi’s statement is unacceptable, and America needs to tell her so.
This post originally appeared on Medium and is edited and republished with author's permission. Read more of William Spivey's work on Medium. And if you dig his words, buy the man a coffee.