Trump administration accused of 'purposefully muddying waters' after releasing hundreds of names in Epstein files
President Donald Trump, Barack Obama and former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mick Jagger, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe appear alongside many more
The Trump administration has been accused of "purposefully muddying the waters" after releasing a compiled list of hundreds of names that appear in the Epstein files.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a six-page list of names to Congress this weekend, including names of high-ranking officials.
President Donald Trump, Barack Obama and former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mick Jagger, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, George Clooney, Beyonce, Cher and Janis Joplin appeared on the extensive list.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former Duke of York, was mentioned as a regular contact of Epstein. The former prince has been dogged by associations for years with latest files showing him kneeling over a woman who was lying on the floor.
Peter Mandelson, the former Labour Peer and US Ambassador, was listed. He received £55,000 from Epstein and shared confidential information with the paedophile financier during the 2008 financial crisis, it has been reported.
Read More: Who is in the Epstein Files and what has been said about them?
Both Andrew and Mr Mandelson have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Being named in the files does not suggest wrongdoing and some of those names featured in the list may not have had any correspondence or interaction with Epstein.
Democrats have complained that the listing of everyone mentioned in the files 'protects the predators', as they are named alongside people who are merely mentioned by others in emails.
Ms Bondi claimed the list of names are those whose name has appeared in the files at least once, or those who "are or were a government official or politically exposed person".
The letter said the Department of Justice has released all "records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department" as required by law under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
It added: "No records were withheld or redacted 'on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary'."
Democrat Ro Khanna, who wrote the Epstein Files Transparency Act alongside Republican Thomas Massie, said: "The DOJ is once again purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email.
"To have Janis Joplin, who died when Epstein was 17, in the same list as Larry Nassar, who went to prison for the sexual abuse of hundreds of young women and child pornography, with no clarification of how either was mentioned in the files is absurd.
"Release the full files. Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivor's names."
Mr Massie criticised the DoJ's approach to the releases of documents released after the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed, releasing an initial batch in November before millions more on January 30.
He told ABC: "The problem with that is the bill that Ro Khanna and I wrote says that they must release internal memos and notes and emails about their decisions on whether to prosecute or not prosecute, whether to investigate or not investigate."
He added: "I know the DOJ wants to say they're done with this document production.
"The problem is they've taken down documents before we were able to go over to the DOJ and look at the unredacted versions. They took down some of the most significant documents."
The names of both Mr Khanna and Mr Massie also appeared on the list.
Disgraced financier Epstein took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. He had twice previously been convicted for sex offences.
The release of the files has shown the extent of his vast network of influences from his time in finance and also from his exotic social life and partying.