Attorney General Pam Bondi’s DOJ letter listing 300 names in Epstein files allegedly includes deceased celebrities like Janis Joplin, sparking bipartisan outrage over lack of context
The fury allegedly arises from the Epstein files list lacking context(Image: US Department of Justice/AFP via)
Republicans and Democrats are seething after top Attorney General Pam Bondi penned a letter to Congress on Valentine’s Day, asserting that the DOJ has released all materials related to the Epstein Files.
The letter, dated 14th February, reportedly included a list of 300 wealthy and well-known individuals who were allegedly mentioned at least once in the Epstein files, sparking outrage across the political spectrum. Many have purportedly labelled the list as incomplete due to a significant portion of the millions of emails and documents being heavily redacted.
Being named in the Epstein files does not imply any wrongdoing. The list of names allegedly includes known Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, political figures such as former Prime Minister Tony Blair, singers like Diana Ross, and tech CEOs including Elon Musk.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Bondi’s 14th February letter was dispatched to Congress as mandated under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. She was instructed to inform and update Congress within 15 days of finalising the release of all the files.
The Daily Mail reported that the fury allegedly arises from the list lacking context, as various celebrities and politicians appear on Bondi’s compilation of the rich and famous. Bondi’s list even features the names of celebrities who had passed away long before Epstein commenced his operation, reports the Mirror US.
Names such as Janis Joplin, who passed away when Epstein was just 17, allegedly appeared on the recently released list. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna accused Trump’s Department of Justice of “muddying the waters” by lumping together the names of alleged predators and those merely “mentioned in an email.
DOJ publishes names of 300 high-profile people in Epstein files(Image: DOJ)
“The DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email,” Khanna posted on X. “To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child pornography, with no clarification of how either was mentioned in the files, is absurd. Release the full files. Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivors’ names.”
Former Trump ally and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also had her say after her name was revealed in Bondi’s letter. During her time in Congress, Greene advocated for the release of the Epstein files, which strained her relationship with Trump.
Greene took to X to pen a blistering statement questioning Bondi’s hypocrisy of including her name on a list as part of her “DOJ letter,” yet redacting “all 31 pages of this file with my name in it.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna accused the Trump DOJ of “muddying the waters”(Image: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock)
“If you are going to put my name on your fake ‘Epstein List’ DOJ letter, then REDACT ALL 31 PAGES OF THIS FILE WITH MY NAME IN IT! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! What is there to hide? ,” Greene exclaimed. Political commentator Ed Krassenstein also weighed in, highlighting that members of the Biden family, Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden, appeared on Bondi’s Epstein list, whilst none of the Trump offspring were included, despite allegedly featuring in the documents.
He labelled the exclusion a “cover-up.
“Why does the DOJ’s Epstein list include Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden but not Tiffany Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Barron Trump?” he posted on X. “All of them are mentioned in the files. The Trump / Pam Bondi cover-up continues.”
Former Trump ally and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also chimed in after her name was released in Bondi’s letter(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Bondi defended her choice to redact portions of the documents, explaining that the Epstein Files Transparency Act permits certain details to be withheld, including those safeguarding victims’ identities, ongoing investigation information, and child sexual abuse material. “No records were withheld or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,” Bondi’s correspondence confirmed.
The legislation only allows redaction of elements that protect victims’ identities, details of active investigations, and child sexual abuse material. The FBI estimates there are roughly 1,000 Epstein victims.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, which the Department of Justice is now enacting following Trump’s signature on November 19, 2025, mandates the public disclosure of all unclassified documents concerning Epstein and his convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The DOJ revealed that hundreds of legal professionals examined approximately 6 million pages of documentation, ultimately releasing more than 3.5 million pages several weeks beyond the specified deadline.
The correspondence explained: “The only category of records withheld were those records where permitted withholdings under Section 2(c) and privileged materials were not segregable from material responsive under Section 2(a).”
It added, “As discussed in the Department’s December 19, 2025, and January 29, 2026, letters to Congress (the Prior EFTA Letters), the privileges that applied to the withheld records were deliberative-process privilege, work-product privilege, and attorney-client privilege.”
Section 2(c) permits the suppression of material that could compromise a victim’s privacy, contains child sexual abuse material, affects an ongoing investigation, includes graphic content, or threatens national security. Officials then confirmed that no documents were concealed or censored to protect prominent figures from “embarrassment.”