Questions about the contents — or even the existence — of a trove of child sex tapes linked to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein remain unanswered weeks after Attorney General Bondi first indicated the FBI is examining tens of thousands of such videos.

The assertion, made at the White House in April, intensified scrutiny into the investigation of Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking activities. Since then, there has been little reporting on the claim until Tuesday, when the Associated Press published a lengthy article about the matter. 

Ms. Bondi’s claim came as the Trump administration pledged to release more files connected to Epstein’s criminal activities. She told reporters at the White House, “There are tens of thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn,” implying the FBI was reviewing these materials. 

However, lawyers and authorities involved in Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal cases told the Associated Press there had been no evidence or formal documentation to corroborate the existence of a “stockpile” of such videos.

During a February interview with Fox News, Ms. Bondi also implied the existence of an alleged “client list” tied to Epstein, claiming it was “sitting on her desk.” The Department of Justice later distributed declassified binders to conservative influencers, suggesting the material Ms. Bondi referred to was already public and that no “client list” had been discovered. The binders turned out to be duds.

The mystery deepened when Ms. Bondi was approached by a woman with a hidden camera at a restaurant in April. Ms. Bondi reaffirmed her claims, telling the woman the FBI would review tens of thousands of videos involving “little kids.” A conservative activist, James O’Keefe, obtained the footage and brought it to light. 

FBI officials have not corroborated Ms. Bondi’s claims. The FBI director, Kash Patel, speaking on a podcast with Joe Rogan last month, appeared to contradict Ms. Bondi’s allegations. “If there was a video of some guy, or gal, committing felonies on an island, and I’m in charge, don’t you think you’d see it?” Mr. Patel said. “We’re giving you everything we have.”

Epstein was a financier with high-profile connections to celebrities, politicians, and billionaires who faced multiple accusations of sexually exploiting underage girls over the course of decades. His legal troubles began in 2005 when he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. A subsequent police investigation led to more allegations of sexual abuse of dozens of underage victims.

Despite mounting evidence, Epstein reached a controversial plea deal in 2008, pleading guilty to a single charge involving one victim and serving 13 months under a work-release program. The deal received widespread criticism for its leniency and for shielding Epstein’s co-conspirators from prosecution.

Years later, in 2019, Epstein faced federal sex trafficking charges but died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial. His death only raised more questions about his activities, network, and the case’s broader implications. Maxwell, his former girlfriend and longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 for her role in recruiting underage victims for Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.