Amid buzz in the U.S. political circles regarding the minor sex offender Jeffrey Epstein case, the U.S. Department of Justice reported to President Donald Trump in May that Trump's name appears multiple times in the Epstein files, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 23rd (local time).
According to the WSJ, during a White House meeting in May, Attorney General Pam Bondi reported to President Trump that his name also appears alongside those of other high-ranking officials in the Epstein-related files reviewed by the Department of Justice. Bondi told President Trump that the files contain the names of hundreds of individuals and noted that they include unverified rumors.
Bondi also stated that there are personal details of the victims stipulated in the Epstein files, and therefore, there are no plans to disclose the files anew, and President Trump said he would leave the decision to the Department of Justice, according to the WSJ. However, it remains unclear in what context President Trump's name was mentioned in the Epstein files.
However, this contradicts President Trump's assertion that he had never been briefed on such matters. On the 15th of this month, President Trump responded to an ABC reporter's question asking, 'Did the Attorney General say your name appears in the documents?' by saying, 'No. Just a simple briefing was given.'
The White House immediately refuted the claims. Steven Chung, a spokesman for the White House, stated, 'This is yet another piece of fake news, just like the previously reported article (the birthday letter).' The WSJ reported last week that 'President Trump sent a congratulatory letter on Epstein's 50th birthday with obscene drawings.' In response, President Trump filed a $10 billion (approximately 14 trillion won) defamation lawsuit against the WSJ reporter and others.