Attorney General Pam Bondi has “every intention to stay and serve” after a reportedly heated clash with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino over the Jeffrey Epstein files fallout.
The news of Bondi’s alleged decision was reported by “Florida’s Voice” Assistant News Director Eric Daugherty, who cited Fox News as his source.
This issue at hand is that Bongino has reportedly made it known that if Bondi stays, he is resigning, CNN reported.
The clash over the Epstein case boiled over during a Wednesday meeting at the White House, according to sources.
In the room were Bondi, Bongino, FBI Director Kash Patel, and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Sources said Bongino and Patel were pressed about whether they were behind a story claiming the FBI wanted more of the Epstein files released but were blocked by the Justice Department.
Bongino denied leaking anything to NewsNation, which ran the story, according to a source familiar with the exchange who spoke to CNN.
But he didn’t sign the statement defending the DOJ review that was included in that article.
Sources said Bongino hasn’t made a final decision and could still stay in his role.
Axios was the first to report some of the confrontation details.
Meanwhile, frustration inside and outside the White House is growing, especially over how Bondi has handled the Epstein files, which have triggered backlash from some of President Trump’s strongest supporters.
Several sources told CNN that Bongino didn’t show up for work on Friday, fueling talk that he might be stepping down.
One of those sources said that as of Friday afternoon, he had not officially left his post.
“The whole thing has been a complete mess and no one is happy,” one source briefed on the situation told CNN.
Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, has been at the center of public speculation for years due to his connections to high-profile figures.
He was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges in August 2019 when he was found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail cell. He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead. His death was ruled a suicide, but many questioned the official story.
During the 2024 campaign, President Trump said he would consider releasing more government files tied to Epstein.
Many of his supporters hoped the documents would expose others or disprove the suicide ruling.
But this week’s Justice Department memo said there was no murder, no “client list,” and no blackmail evidence — sparking outrage in MAGA circles.
Sources said the FBI and DOJ had been clashing for months over the Epstein review. That tension burst into the open Friday, when conservative activist Laura Loomer posted that Bongino and Patel were “LIVID” with Bondi.
She also claimed Bongino had taken the day off and might not return.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche tried to shut that down, however, in a statement posted to social media.
He wrote on X, “The suggestion by anyone that there was any daylight between the FBI and DOJ leadership on this memo’s composition and release is patently false.”
White House Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields backed him up.
“President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims,” Fields said.
“This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity,” he added. “Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.”
In February, Bondi held a meeting at the White House with pro-Trump influencers and handed out Epstein-related binders. But much of the information had already been public for years, and critics said the rollout fell flat.