Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist, is now reportedly escalating calls for the full release of government-held documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, insisting that the public will not accept partial disclosures or summary memos.
Speaking on his podcast Thursday, Bannon urged the Department of Justice to release all remaining files connected to Epstein’s alleged network, or for a special counsel to be appointed to oversee a comprehensive and transparent review. “It’s not going to go away,” Bannon said. “The only way you can do it is release it all.”
His comments come days after the DOJ and FBI issued a brief memo stating that there is no existing “client list” associated with Epstein and reaffirming that the 2019 death of the financier was a suicide. Officials indicated there was no basis for additional charges and that the case is effectively closed.
Bannon dismissed the memo as inadequate and framed the lack of full transparency as a threat to public trust.
He floated the idea of a five-member committee that could examine the sealed files, redact sensitive information to protect victims, and release the rest to the public. “Let them review it, redact what you have to, and release the rest,” he said.
The call for broader disclosure echoes sentiments increasingly voiced by other prominent figures, including conservative commentators and tech leaders, who have questioned whether the government is withholding critical information.
The Justice Department has maintained that much of the material remains sealed to protect the identities and privacy of Epstein’s victims, many of whom were minors at the time of the alleged abuse.
Despite these privacy concerns, critics argue that the public has a right to know the extent of Epstein’s connections and whether any influential individuals were shielded from accountability.
Bannon also took aim at expectations raised by Trump-era officials who had suggested that long-sought disclosures were imminent. “If you build it up, and then release nothing, the people will never trust it again,” he said.
While the Justice Department has not indicated any plans to release additional records, Bannon’s remarks underscore a broader movement demanding full transparency—both as a matter of justice for victims and of restoring confidence in the system.
“This issue isn’t going away,” Bannon said. “And the longer the truth stays hidden, the more corrosive the suspicion becomes.”
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