Two House Democrats ask Bondi, Patel about Epstein files release after Musk allegation against Trump

Two House Democrats sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel asking about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files after Elon Musk alleged that President Trump was in them.

Musk and Trump got into a feud on Thursday when the SpaceX CEO started a public row over spending provisions in Trump's so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill," now being considered in the Senate. During the feud, Musk posted on X, "Time to drop the really big bomb: [Donald Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!"

After Musk's post, Trump appeared to de-escalate the feud.

While on the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly promised to release the files regarding convicted sex offender Epstein on day one. Early in Trump's administration, Bondi promised their release, but ultimately provided influencers with already public information, instead.

Democratic Reps. Stephen Lynch, Mass., the acting ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, and Robert Garcia, Calif., the top Democrat on the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, sent the letter to Bondi and Patel on Thursday night, asking them to "immediately clarify whether" Musk's "allegation is true and respond to this letter with the requested information and documentation."

The two Democratic Congress members noted that their Republican colleagues had requested the release of the Epstein files in February and May.

"We agree with their conclusion that the release of these documents is long overdue," they said.

"Elon Musk, one of the President’s closest and most influential advisors, alleges that the President may be described in additional files related to this investigation. This allegation implies that the President may be involved in determining which files should be released and whether files will be withheld from the public if he personally chooses to withhold them," the Democrats wrote.

"President Trump and his family were passengers on Jeffrey Epstein’s personal airplane, according to flight logs released by AG Bondi in February 2025. President Trump, by his own admission, was close friends with Jeffrey Epstein, and Epstein was previously a guest at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Any attempts to prevent the appropriate release of the Epstein files to shield the President from truth and accountability merits intense scrutiny by Congress and by the Department of Justice."