WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing Democratic calls to testify before Congress following a newspaper's revelation that she told President Donald Trump that his name appeared in the files of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Bondi told Trump his name was among many high-profile figures mentioned in the files, which the Justice Department this month said it would not be releasing despite a clamor from online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and members of Trump's base.
Trump’s personal ties to Epstein are well-established and his name is already known to have been included in records related to the wealthy financier, who killed himself in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.
Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, responded to the report by calling on Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“We need to bring Bondi and Patel into the Judiciary Committee to testify about this now,” Schiff said in a video posted on X.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the report but issued a joint statement from Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche saying that investigators had reviewed the records and “nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.”
“As par of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,” the statement said.
The mere inclusion of a person's name in Epstein's files does not imply wrongdoing and he was known to have been associated with multiple prominent figures, including Trump.
Over the years, thousands of pages of records have been released through lawsuits, Epstein’s criminal dockets, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.
They include a 2016 deposition in which an accuser recounted she spent several hours with Epstein at Trump’s Atlantic City casino but didn’t say if she met Trump and did not accuse him of any wrongdoing.
Trump has also said he once thought Epstein was a “terrific guy” but they later had a falling-out.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung on Wednesday said the reports were “nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks at a news conference at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Mark Scheifele had a goal and three assists, Jonathan Toews scored for the fourth consecutive game and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Minnesota Wild 6-2 on Thursday night.
Toews also had an assist, Gabriel Vilardi and Josh Morrissey each had a goal and an assist, and Tanner Pearson and Logan Stanley scored as Winnipeg tied its season high for goals.
Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves as the Jets won their fourth straight following an 11-game losing streak (0-7-4). Winnipeg is 9-1-1 in its past 11 games against the Wild, including six straight wins in Minnesota.
Danila Yurov and Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who are 1-3-2 in their last six games. Jesper Wallstedt made 14 saves in two periods; Filip Gustavsson had eight in the third.
Minnesota had the game’s first 10 shots on goal, but Winnipeg scored first when, with a two-man advantage, Toews poked in a rebound of Vilardi's shot.
It was the 900th career point for Toews, who last had goals in four straight games in March 2014. He had three goals in his first 42 games this season.
Pearson put home his own rebound with 11 seconds left in the opening period. A one-timer from Morrissey made it 3-0 eight seconds later.
It was the fastest two goals scored since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg. Ron Hainsey and Chris Thorburn scored seven seconds apart for the Atlanta Thrashers on Dec. 2, 2008.
Yurov got the Wild within 3-1 early in the second period, but Stanley scored on a slap shot, Vilardi on a rebound and Scheifele went bar down later in the frame for his 13th career four-point game.
Morrissey’s assist on Vilardi’s goal gave him 90 career multipoint games, passing Dustin Byfuglien for the most by a defenseman in Jets history.
Jets: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Wild: Begin a three-game trip Saturday at Buffalo.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Winnipeg Jets left wing Cole Koepke (45) tries to slap the puck away from Minnesota Wild left wing Marcus Johansson (90) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (30) stops a shot as defenseman Jared Spurgeon, left and defenseman Daemon Hunt, second from right, tries to clear Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) and center Gabriel Vilardi (13) from the goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets left wing Tanner Pearson (70) hits the puck over Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to score a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley, second from right, celebrates with right wing Nino Niederreiter (62), center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) and center Cole Perfetti (91) after scoring against the Minnesota Wild during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews (19) scores a goal as he's checked by Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton (5) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 15, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
