Conservatives and liberals join forces to eviscerate Pam Bondi and the Justice Department statement about the Epstein files with disbelief and irritation.
The Christmas Eve announcement from the Department of Justice sparked outrage from just about everyone with a statement that said: “The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI have informed the Department of Justice that they have uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.”
The department explained that it had received the documents from SDNY and the FBI and would review them for release in line with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, existing laws, and court orders.
It promised that the review was underway, with lawyers working around the clock to make the necessary redactions to protect victims, and said the material would be released as soon as possible. Due to the large volume of documents, the DOJ warned that the process could take a few more weeks. The statement also mentioned that the department would continue to comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files.
On paper, it sounds like an agency trying to be thorough, but in practice, many felt it indicated that the department was not prepared and had not been honest about what it had, and that’s where the bipartisan backlash exploded.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican advocating for transparency on this issue, immediately pointed out the contradiction. “So what you’re saying is the files were never on Bondi’s desk like she claimed in this video?” he wrote, referencing earlier messaging that suggested the Epstein files were already with Attorney General Pam Bondi and just needed to be released.
So what you’re saying is the files were never on @AGPamBondi’s desk like she claimed in this video? https://t.co/Az8cGN2fum pic.twitter.com/gdYlhGt6VW
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 24, 2025
From the left, Rep. Ro Khanna chimed in with a similar sentiment, using the department’s own words to emphasize his point. “‘There are no more files, case closed.’ Six months later after Massie and my Epstein Transparency Act. ‘There are a million files.’” Khanna believes that either the public was misled about the status of the files, or the government’s internal handling has been less stable than anyone wants to admit.
Conservative analyst Bill Kristol expressed the reaction many felt in real time. “At first, I just thought, what clowns,” he said. “But after a moment’s thought, I am more incredulous and suspicious.” That reflects a serious shift in just two sentences, moving from mockery to distrust.
Then came the practical questions, which made the DOJ’s explanation seem even harder to believe. Rep. Daniel Goldman, a Democrat focused on oversight, described it with the following. “So Bondi said she demanded ALL of the Epstein Files in February, and the FBI spent thousands of man-hours redacting them (victim info is always the first thing redacted), so the files had already been redacted,” he wrote.
It’s not just about the content of the Epstein files; it’s about how the government discusses them, as if each update is the first time anyone is hearing the numbers. The DOJ’s Christmas Eve statement only made things worse, as it contradicts what they previously told the public.
The Epstein files have turned into a political nightmare, and every delay comes with more suspicion and conspiracy theories about who may be being protected. The DOJ claims it is simply following the law, protecting victims, and dealing with the volume; however, that is a hard sell to the public that wants everyone associated with Epstein’s crimes tried and put behind bars.
