Today’s congressional hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi was supposed to bring accountability for the DOJ’s mishandling of the Epstein files. Instead, we witnessed something far more disturbing: a live, televised coverup of the largest sex trafficking and potential murder conspiracy in American history.
Over 14,000 viewers joined our live coverage — the largest in Narativ’s history — as we documented six hours of deflection, obfuscation, and outright refusal to answer basic questions about the President’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.
The Survivors Were There. Bondi Refused to Acknowledge Them.
The most heartbreaking moment came when survivors of Epstein’s trafficking ring stood in the hearing room, directly behind Bondi. Three times, Democratic representatives asked her to turn around and acknowledge them. Three times, she refused.
When asked how many had tried to contact the DOJ to provide testimony: every single hand went up.
When asked how many had been ignored or denied: every single hand went up.
Not one survivor in that room has been contacted by Bondi’s Department of Justice.
The Redaction Scandal: Protecting Predators, Exposing Victims
The most damning revelation was the DOJ’s deliberate pattern of redactions. Perpetrators’ names — heavily redacted. Trump’s name — redacted approximately 960,000 times out of over 1 million appearances in the unredacted files. But victims? Their names published in full. Their addresses. Their phone numbers. In some cases, their nude photographs.
Representative Pramila Jayapal held up an email titled “Epstein Victim List” containing 32 names. 31 were left fully unredacted. Only one was protected.
This wasn’t incompetence. This was intentional intimidation. The message to every survivor considering coming forward: we know who you are, we know where you live, and we will expose you before we expose the men who hurt you.
Trump Cabinet Members With Epstein Ties
Representative Balint exposed that three senior Trump officials have documented ties to Epstein in the files:
Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, admitted going to Epstein Island in 2012 — after Epstein’s conviction. John Lavan, Secretary of the Navy. Steven Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense.
When asked if the DOJ had questioned any of them about their Epstein connections, Bondi refused to answer. The nation’s top law enforcement official won’t say whether she’s investigated the men sitting in the President’s cabinet who appear in the files of the most prolific sex trafficker in American history.
The Bombshell: Allegations of Murder
Representative Ted Lieu presented the most shocking evidence of the day: an FBI tip from a limousine driver who overheard Trump and Epstein discussing the rape of a young woman.
According to the FBI document, the victim later told people she feared for her life. “They will kill me,” she said.
She was later found dead with her head blown off. Officers at the scene said it could not have been suicide.
Bondi’s response to allegations of murder connected to the President of the United States? She talked about the Dow Jones and how great the economy is.
Ghislaine Maxwell: From Prison to Club Fed
After a mysterious meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche — who served as Trump’s personal defense attorney before joining the DOJ — Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred from a higher-security prison to a minimum-security camp in Texas. A facility she would normally be ineligible for as a convicted sex offender.
There, she reportedly enjoys therapy puppy time, private gym sessions, catered meals, and secretarial services.
When asked about this, Bondi claimed she didn’t know about the transfer. The Attorney General of the United States claims she doesn’t know that the most high-profile sex trafficking convict in America was moved to a country club prison after meeting with her deputy.
The Deflection Playbook
Every time Bondi was asked about Epstein, Trump, or the investigation, she deployed the same five moves:
Attack the questioner personally. “You have Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Bring up crime in their district — she literally brought poster boards. Praise Trump. “The greatest president in American history.” Talk about the stock market. “The Dow is over 50,000!” Change the subject to immigration.
Six hours. Dozens of questions. Not once — not a single time — did Pam Bondi say: “The President is innocent of these allegations.”
Jasmine Crockett Brings the Receipts
Representative Jasmine Crockett delivered the most devastating five minutes of the entire hearing, armed with research compiled by this Substack community and our colleagues Ellie Leonard, Dean Blundell, and Lev Parnas.
She laid out the facts. Donald Trump is one of the most named people in the Epstein files. At least 5,000 files contain more than 38,000 references to Trump, his wife, or Mar-a-Lago. Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell made young girls available to Trump on multiple occasions. FBI notes describe Epstein transporting a victim to Mar-a-Lago to meet Trump, where he bragged: “This is a good one.”
Crockett concluded: “I’m not saying the president is a pedophile, but there is a lot of evidence in these files that suggests he’s very close friends with a lot of men who are pedophiles.”
Bondi’s response? She accused Crockett’s colleague Hakeem Jeffries of taking money from Epstein. That’s what you do when you have no defense — you point at someone else.
Michael Cohen Threatens the ‘Wolf Pack’
In a move that tells you everything about where this investigation is heading, Michael Cohen appeared on Joy Ann Reid’s show while the hearing was still underway and threatened to sue the “wolf pack” of journalists covering Epstein — the wolfpack is likely a reference to me as Zev means wolf in Hebrew.
The timing is not coincidental. Days before, we published evidence that Epstein introduced Melania to Donald Trump, per FBI testimony. That Trump received $50 million from Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev in what appears to be a money laundering scheme. That Michael Cohen facilitated the transaction.
Cohen’s threats only confirm we’re over the target. When the lawyers start threatening journalists, it means the journalism is working.
The Pattern
This wasn’t a hearing. It was a coverup performed in real-time, on camera, for the entire country to see.
The Attorney General of the United States sat before Congress and refused to acknowledge survivors. Refused to investigate cabinet members with Epstein ties. Refused to explain why perpetrators were protected while victims were exposed. Refused to answer whether there’s credible evidence of Trump’s involvement. Refused to commit to any meaningful action.
The reason is simple: the criminals are running the government. The Epstein network isn’t just being protected — it’s in power. That’s why the survivors can’t get justice. That’s why the files are being scrubbed. That’s why journalists asking questions are being threatened with lawsuits.
What You Can Do
Contact your representative and demand impeachment proceedings against Pam Bondi for obstruction of justice. Support independent journalism. We’re being threatened precisely because this coverage matters.
Don’t let this story die. They’re counting on everyone moving on. They always do.
The survivors have been fighting for 30 years. They stood in that room and Pam Bondi wouldn’t even look at them.
We owe them more than that. We owe them justice.
And we won’t stop until they get it.
Thank you Amy Gabrielle, Rachel @ This Woman Votes, Cat: Poli-Psych, Lyudmila and Daniel, Lesley Jane Seymour, and many others for tuning into my live video with Dean Blundell, Lev Parnas, Ellie Leonard, Nick Paro, and Banner & Backbone Media! Join me for my next live video in the app.
