The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump in May 2025 that his name appeared multiple times in files compiled during the long-running investigation into the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Justice Department officials cited child-pornography concerns and the need to shield victims when explaining why they decided not to release additional documents after the briefing, the newspaper said. Speaking to reporters in Scotland on 25 July, Trump said he had "never" been informed that his name was contained in the Epstein records, directly contradicting the Journal’s account and statements from senior administration officials quoted by several outlets. He also dismissed the underlying material as unreliable and insisted it showed no wrongdoing on his part. The disclosure follows a separate Journal article on 17 July describing a risqué, type-written note bearing Trump’s signature in a leather-bound album created for Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has denied authoring the note, calling the document "fake," and has threatened to sue the Journal, its parent Dow Jones and News Corp owner Rupert Murdoch. A complaint filed in federal court in Miami seeks at least $10 billion in damages, according to court records cited by Mexican news site Proceso. The clash has intensified pressure for wider release of Epstein-related material. While Bondi has petitioned courts to unseal grand-jury evidence, a federal judge this week rejected one of the department’s requests, prolonging the legal battle. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans adjourned early for the August recess to avoid votes that could compel disclosure, underscoring the political sensitivity surrounding the files.