Judiciary Democrats Demand AG Bondi Release Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Report on Trump’s Mishandling of Classified Documents, Epstein Files

Washington, D.C. (July 8, 2025)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Dan Goldman led Committee Democrats in a letter demanding Attorney General Pam Bondi release the entirety of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s report on President Donald Trump’s refusal to return classified documents after he left office, along with any evidence in the “Epstein files” mentioning Trump, that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) have withheld from the public.

“Five months ago, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismissed the pending case against Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, depriving the American public of an opportunity to hear the evidence of how they conspired with Donald Trump to help him stash hundreds of highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago Club, defy subpoenas, obstruct law enforcement, hide evidence, and lie about his continuing retention of these records. Since then, you have continued to conceal the evidence against Donald Trump and his co-conspirators by refusing to release the report of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into this matter. You have done so even as House Judiciary Committee Republicans continue to make baseless claims of bias and misconduct on the part of Special Counsel Smith and compel testimony from members of his team—all without a shred of evidence. Your conduct is particularly worrisome as it appears to be part of a pattern of using the DOJ to cover up evidence of criminal wrongdoing by President Trump, including information allegedly contained in the Epstein files. We write today to demand that you release the Smith report immediately, as well as any evidence mentioning or referencing Donald Trump in the Epstein files,” wrote the Members.

Volume I of the Special Counsel’s report was released publicly by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January, but DOJ did not release Volume II at that time due to a pending case againstTrump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira. The case was dismissed in February after Trump’s DOJ moved to drop it, but Attorney General Bondi has sought to indefinitely block the disclosure of the remainer of the report. 

While refusing to release the full report, DOJ is cooperating with House Republicans’ continued probe of Special Counsel Smith’s investigation and prosecution of President Trump in a desperate and failed effort to find evidence of bias or misconduct. DOJ has acquiesced to Chairman Jim Jordan’s requests for testimony of line-level prosecutors in Special Counsel Smith’s office, without objections or restrictions—a position at odds with the Department’s longstanding policy to protect line prosecutors and prosecutorial deliberations. 

The Trump Administration has consistently hidden from the public materials and information that may be damaging to Trump. Earlier this month, former senior administration official Elon Musk posted on X that President Trump “is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

In February, DOJ and the FBI came under intense public criticism for releasing a “first phase” of the Epstein files that consisted largely of information that was already public. Despite reportedlyordering hundreds of agents to work marathon sessions in order to prepare more batches of records for public release, Attorney General Bondi has not released additional records. Just this week, the FBI stated that it has determined “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”  

The delay raises questions of whether the White House has moved to prevent declassification and public release of the full Epstein files because they implicate President Trump, and whether these massive redactions efforts and the withholding of the files were intended to shield the President.

“The American people deserve uncensored answers and authentic transparency from this Administration and a full understanding of Mr. Trump’s actions. We call on you to stop protecting your boss and former client, release the Smith report in full without redactions immediately, and publicly release all documents in the Epstein files that mention or reference Donald Trump,” concluded the Members.

Today’s letter follows a months-long push by House Judiciary Democrats for the full public release of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In February, Ranking Member Raskin and Rep. Dan Goldman led Democrats in a letter to Attorney General Bondi urging her to release Volume Two of Special Counsel Smith’s report. In January, House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to then-Attorney General Garland, urging him to take all necessary steps to ensure the reports’ release.

Click here to read the letter.