• White House commandeered Department of Justice social media account to manage public relations fallout from Epstein files disclosure
• Second tranche contained over 30,000 pages with email revealing Trump flew on Epstein’s jet at least eight times in 1990s
• Bipartisan lawmakers threaten Attorney General Pam Bondi with contempt charges for missing December 19 congressional deadline

WASHINGTON, DC (TDR) — The Trump administration has taken control of the Department of Justice social media account to manage messaging around the release of Jeffrey Epstein documents, according to Axios, as the White House grapples with chaotic disclosures that include hundreds of references to President Donald Trump.

The Justice Department released approximately 30,000 additional pages of Epstein files on December 23, including a 2020 email from a federal prosecutor revealing that Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least eight times between 1993 and 1996. Four of those flights included convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell as a passenger.

“Donald Trump traveled on Epstein’s private jet many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).”

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The email, sent by an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, described one 1993 flight where Trump and Epstein were the only listed passengers, and another where the three passengers were Epstein, Trump and a then-20-year-old whose name was redacted.

White House Takes Over Federal Communications

Axios reported the White House began managing the DOJ’s X account to “finish out the year and the Epstein file disclosure requirements set by Congress,” with the account adopting “a sharper tone that has more of a rapid-response campaign edge and less of the stodgy just-the-facts tone associated with the department.”

The move came after the department faced intense criticism over a purported letter from Epstein to convicted sports doctor Larry Nassar that contained explicit references to Trump. The letter, postmarked three days after Epstein’s August 2019 death, claimed “our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls.”

Within hours of the letter’s release, the DOJ account declared the document “FAKE,” citing handwriting analysis, incorrect postmark location and missing inmate information. The aggressive damage control approach drew widespread attention on social media, with users noting the department was issuing clarifications to entertainment pages and individual commenters.

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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche later explained that the Epstein Files Transparency Act requires releasing all documents in DOJ possession, including potentially fake ones.

Congressional Fury Over Missed Deadline

The releases have sparked bipartisan fury on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act with near-unanimous support in November. The law mandated that Attorney General Pam Bondi release all unclassified Epstein-related documents by December 19 with minimal redactions.

Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, the bipartisan authors of the legislation, announced plans to pursue inherent contempt charges against Bondi for missing the deadline. The rarely used congressional power allows the House to fine or arrest officials obstructing legislative functions.

“The quickest way, and I think most expeditious way, to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi.”

Massie made the statement on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” adding that the contempt resolution would fine Bondi for every day she fails to release complete files. Khanna emphasized that inherent contempt requires only House approval, not Senate cooperation.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation directing the Senate to initiate legal action against DOJ for violating the law. A bipartisan group of 12 senators, led by Richard Blumenthal, Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Merkley, called for an audit of DOJ’s handling of the release.

Incomplete Release Sparks Backlash

The DOJ announced December 24 that it discovered over one million additional documents potentially related to Epstein, stating the review process “may take a few more weeks.” The department said approximately 750,000 records have been reviewed by a team of 200 staffers, with roughly 700,000 more awaiting examination.

Lawmakers criticized the piecemeal approach and heavy-handed redactions that exceeded the law’s limited exceptions for protecting victims. One 119-page grand jury transcript was released entirely redacted before the department posted a minimally redacted version following outcry.

Documents that disappeared from the DOJ’s online “Epstein Library” on Saturday were later restored with explanations about protecting victims. The administration’s shifting messaging and puzzling redactions have compounded problems, according to Axios sources who described “extreme frustration” within the White House.

“It’s a combination of extreme frustration at everything: at what Congress did, at our response to it, and a concern that it won’t go away. There’s also a little bit of indignation at the media.”

An administration official told Axios the concern is that “this wasn’t even a story for years and years, and now, not only is it a story, but the top of many news pages on a given day.”

Trump Mentions Throughout Latest Release

Beyond the flight log email, the Tuesday release included numerous Trump references. One FBI file contained a rape allegation submitted during the 2020 campaign. A court document described a 14-year-old girl taken to Mar-a-Lago in 1994 who said Epstein introduced her to Trump with the comment “This is a good one, right?” Both men reportedly chuckled.

A 2021 subpoena to Mar-a-Lago for employment records during the Maxwell investigation was also included. Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing by law enforcement in connection with Epstein and has denied any improper conduct.

The DOJ prefaced Tuesday’s release by stating some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election,” adding the claims are “unfounded and false” but are being released “out of our commitment to the law and transparency.”

Trump told reporters Monday the Epstein files are “a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has,” complaining that famous people photographed with Epstein are having their reputations unfairly damaged.

Representative Robert Garcia, ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, called the withheld million documents “outrageous” and demanded Bondi testify before Congress. Progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Bondi’s resignation over the heavily redacted releases.

When the White House commandeers federal law enforcement communications to manage political damage control, and statutory deadlines become negotiable suggestions, what happens to the principle of equal justice under law?

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