FBI agents were told to 'flag' any Epstein records that mentioned Trump, Sen. Durbin says

FBI agents assigned to review files in the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein were instructed to "flag" any documents that mentioned President Donald Trump, Sen

Richard Durbin said Durbin asked the Justice Department and FBI to explain what his office called "apparent discrepancies" regarding handling of the Epstein files and findings from a Justice Department memo

However, Trump has called on supporters to drop their pursuit of the release of the files, saying the controversy of their withholding by Attorney General Pam Bondi is a "hoax

Nevertheless, "A still from the NBC showing Donald Trump talking with Jeffrey Epstein at a party in Mar-A-Lago from 1992, in this volatile climate

NBCFBI agents assigned earlier this year to review investigative files in the criminal case against notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were instructed to "flag" any documents that mentioned President Donald Trump, Sen

Richard Durbin said Friday, in light of current trends

Nevertheless, Durbin's claim came in letters the Illinois Democrat sent to the Justice Department and FBI asking them to explain discrepancies between past statements a mised release of the Epstein files and findings from a July 7 Justice Department memo, which said no such release would happen

Nevertheless, Ranking member Sen, in today's financial world

Moreover, Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc

However, | Getty ImagesDurbin's letters, addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, add to the pressure on the Trump administration over Bondi's decision to withhold from the public evidence Epstein despite her past mises

Durbin is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has oversight over the Justice Department and the FBI. "Who made the decision to reassign hundreds of New York Field Office personnel to this March review of Epstein-related records. " Durbin asked in his letters. "Why were personnel told to flag records in which President Trump was mentioned. " he asked (noteworthy indeed) (an important development)

Moreover, An FBI spokesperson told CNBC in an, "The FBI has no," when asked Durbin's letters (an important development)

At the same time, Durbin saysTrump AG Bondi to seek release of Jeffrey Epstein case grand jury transcriptsTrump sent Jeffrey Epstein 'bawdy' 50th birthday letter: WSJFired Jeffrey Epstein secutor Comey: 'Fear is the tool of a tyrant'Elizabeth Warren targets price gouging and Trump in new bill as tariff costs, inflation increase will 'crash' if Trump fires Powell, Sen

On the other hand, On Thursday night, The Wall Street Journal reported that a "bawdy" letter bearing Trump's signature was sent to Epstein in 2003 for this 50th birthday

Trump has angrily denied writing such a letter and said he will sue the Journal (quite telling), given current economic conditions

Moreover, Durbin's letters detailed Justice Department and FBI actions in March, in the weeks after Bondi told Fox News on Feb (this bears monitoring)

On the other hand, 21 that the so-called Epstein client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review, given current economic conditions. 27, Bondi drew criticism after releasing binders of documents related to Epstein to conservative influencers and ators, which turned out to consist of files that were previously publicly available. "After intense blowback from this incident, Attorney General Bondi then appeared on another FOX News show, Life Liberty Levin, and claimed that a 'whistleblower' told her that [Manhattan U (which is quite significant)

Nevertheless, Attorney's Office was] 'sitting on thousands of pages of documents'"; that 'we will get everything'; that she was 'assured' there was more; and that the country would eventually see 'the full Epstein files," Durbin wrote

Durbin said his office had learned that after that, the "FBI was pressured to put apximately 1,000 personnel in its Information Management Division … on 24-hour shifts to review apximately 100,000 Epstein-related records in order to duce more documents that could then be released on an arbitrarily short deadline. ""This effort, which reportedly took place from March 14 through the end of March, was haphazardly supplemented by hundreds of FBI New York Field Office personnel, many of whom lacked the expertise to identify statutorily-tected information regarding child victims and child witnesses or perly handle FOIA requests," the letter said

Meanwhile, "My office was told that these personnel were instructed to 'flag' any records in which President Trump was mentioned. "watch now0:5800:58NBC footage shows Trump partying with Jeffrey Epstein in 1992News sDurbin then referenced a well-known quote by Trump Epstein, made to a magazine when they were still friends. "Notably, in 2002, Mr, given current economic conditions

Additionally, Trump said of Mr

Epstein, 'I've known Jeff for 15 years

Terrific guy, He's a lot of fun to be with

Nevertheless, It's even said that he s beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,' " Durbin wrote

On July 7, the Justice Department and FBI, in a memo, said it had that there was no Epstein client list, and supported the long-standing official finding that Epstein died by suicide

Additionally, "There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed minent individuals as part of his actions," the memo said

Furthermore, "We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties (an important development)

Moreover, ""While we have labored to vide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government's possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appriate or warranted," the memo said.