White House intervened to shut down Epstein probe
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Messages show White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich helped edit the FBI's July 2025 Epstein memo.
The memo ended further investigation, and its drafting now faces ethics scrutiny.
Background
The July 2025 memo from the FBI and Justice Department declared there was no Epstein "client list," no punishable co-conspirators and no grounds for further investigation. Newly obtained messages, reported by The New Republic via Raw Story, show Taylor Budowich — then the White House deputy chief of staff — took part in drafting that memo before its public release, exchanging drafts with FBI Director Kash Patel and then–deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The memo angered the president's MAGA voter base and set off a chain of events that eventually ousted ex–Attorney General Pam Bondi.
How it unfolded
- July 2025Two weeks before the memo's release, Budowich emailed FBI Director Kash Patel asking "Have something I can edit?"; Patel replied hours later sending the DOJ draft.
- July 2025The next day, Budowich told Patel he had passed the draft to the White House communications team and it needed to be put on DOJ and FBI letterhead.
- July 2025Almost a week later, then–deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a "final version" without the Justice Department seal; Budowich demanded a letterhead version, saying "Someone needs to own this."
- July 2025An hour and a half later, Diego Pestana, Blanche's counsel, fulfilled Budowich's request.
- July 2025The FBI's Epstein files memo declared there was no "client list," no punishable co-conspirators and no grounds for further investigation.
- Oct 23, 2026Trump administration messages obtained by Raw Story revealed the White House's involvement in the FBI's drafting process, per The New Republic.
Who’s saying what
- Caution
- Chris Swartz of the Democracy Defenders Fund said the records show Kash Patel worked hand in hand with the former White House deputy chief of staff on the memo stating there would be no further investigation or release of the Epstein files.
- Caution
- Swartz also said it is deeply concerning that the FBI coordinated with the White House on the memo, citing President Trump's well-documented association with Jeffrey Epstein and his frequent mention in the files.