{"id":4269,"date":"2026-07-16T07:35:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T07:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4269"},"modified":"2026-07-16T07:35:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T07:35:51","slug":"vance-says-trump-administration-screwed-up-communications-around-epstein-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4269","title":{"rendered":"Vance says Trump administration \u2018screwed up\u2019 communications around Epstein files"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WASHINGTON \u2014 Vice President JD Vance says the administration \u201cabsolutely\u201d mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files and its contents.<\/p>\n

Read more Cuba unlikely to overthrow its government<\/a><\/p>\n

During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vance pointed largely to former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged \u201cclient list\u201d of Epstein\u2019s was \u201csitting on my desk right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to those comments, the Justice Department under Bondi had also offered conservative commentators and influencers binders that were called \u201cThe Epstein files: Phase 1\u2033 and \u201cDeclassified.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Pam. I like Pam. I don\u2019t think there was anything malicious going on,\u201d Vance told Rogan. \u201cI think Pam was trying to respond to the political moment. I think she overstated what we had and what we didn\u2019t have.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, Vance said, Bondi was \u201croasted\u201d publicly for it and led people to \u201cmistrust\u201d the administration\u2019s transparency efforts on the Epstein files.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe absolutely screwed up the comms of the Epstein files. Like, we just did,\u201d Vance said. \u201cBut do I think the reason we screwed up the comms is because we were trying to hide something? No.\u201d<\/p>\n

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP\u2019s earlier story follows below.<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Lawmakers said Kathryn Ruemmler, the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and White House counsel to President Barack Obama, was not being truthful Wednesday about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, rejecting her testimony that Epstein had merely \u201cused\u201d her.<\/p>\n

Ruemmler in her opening remarks told members of the House Oversight Committee that \u201cit was a mistake to deal with\u201d Epstein, but she insisted she never witnessed criminal activity. She said Epstein \u201cused me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Democrats emerged from the first several hours of questioning saying Ruemmler was not being forthcoming about her ties to Epstein.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is difficult to see how she\u2019s being completely truthful in there with the answers she\u2019s given the committee,\u201d Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters.<\/p>\n

Ruemmler is the latest prominent figure called before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers investigate the network of powerful people connected with Epstein. The bipartisan inquiry has already included testimony from more than a dozen high-profile witnesses, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and former President Bill Clinton, as lawmakers examine how Epstein\u2019s wealth and influence may have helped shield him from scrutiny.<\/p>\n

Ruemmler served as White House counsel under Obama from 2011 to 2014 and was briefly considered for attorney general. She served as Goldman Sachs\u2019 general counsel for six years before announcing in February that she would step down amid backlash over her correspondence with Epstein. Although she said she would step down on June 30, she remains employed by Goldman Sachs.<\/p>\n

Read more Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn warns Iran war delaying critical U.S. pivot to Asia<\/a><\/p>\n

Lawmakers have focused on Ruemmler\u2019s close relationship with Epstein in the final years of his life, pointing to affectionate communications between the two.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor her to deny that there was any type of real relationship there, I just don\u2019t buy it,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cAnd so, again, the fact she is not under oath is very problematic.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two were close years after Epstein\u2019s 2008 conviction on sex crimes<\/h3>\n

While Ruemmler has tried to downplay their relationship in more recent statements, thousands of documents released by the Justice Department showed that Ruemmler and Epstein had an extensive relationship. The files included personal emails, social plans and gifts that extended beyond formal legal work. Documents showed she had called Epstein \u201cUncle Jeffrey\u201d in emails and said she adored him.<\/p>\n

Ruemmler said in her opening remarks that she first met Epstein in 2014 regarding potentially working with him and Gates \u201cto set up a large donor-advised fund.\u201d Soon after, according to Ruemmler, she learned about Epstein\u2019s 2008 conviction on sex crimes, when he became a registered sex offender.<\/p>\n

She said Epstein expressed remorse about it, and that he did not know the women were underaged. She said she \u201crelied on the resolution reached by federal and state prosecutors and validated by a judge as being a proportionate and final resolution of his criminal conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

House Oversight Chair James Comer told reporters Wednesday that the \u201cmost concerning\u201d part of Ruemmler\u2019s communications with Epstein is how she \u201ctried to rehabilitate his image after he was convicted of solicitation of a minor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ruemmler\u2019s interview is part of a broader investigation<\/h3>\n

Comer said Wednesday that Ruemmler is the 18th person to testify as part of their broader investigation.<\/p>\n

Billionaire investor Leon Black was subpoenaed last month after lawmakers said he refused to answer some questions about his yearslong relationship with Epstein.<\/p>\n

Comer said Wednesday that Black will appear for a formal deposition on Sept. 3 but that he expects to have Black\u2019s nondisclosure agreements by \u201cthe end of the week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The committee has also expressed interest in questioning acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, whose nomination to permanently lead the Justice Department is pending before the Senate. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi identified Blanche as the department\u2019s point person on the release of the Epstein documents, a process that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully Blanche will come in as soon as his confirmation is over,\u201d Comer said.<\/p>\n

Read more George Santos\u2019 next gig? Reality TV show contestant<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vice President JD Vance says the administration “absolutely” mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files and its contents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[2528,40,2527,505],"class_list":["post-4269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics","tag-epstein-files","tag-j-d-vance","tag-kathryn-ruemmler","tag-pam-bondi"],"yoast_head":"\nVance says Trump administration \u2018screwed up\u2019 communications around Epstein files - Home Buyer Relocation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4269\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Vance says Trump administration \u2018screwed up\u2019 communications around Epstein files - Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vice President JD Vance says the administration "absolutely" mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files and its contents.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/homebuyerrelocation.com\/?p=4269\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Home Buyer Relocation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-16T07:35:51+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=4269#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=4269\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b2ac56955b020950324cad4c6c27b42a\"},\"headline\":\"Vance says Trump administration \u2018screwed up\u2019 communications around Epstein files\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-16T07:35:51+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=4269\"},\"wordCount\":904,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/?p=4269#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/homebuyerrelocation.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/803a82dc369fd4f57200db87a674b567.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Epstein files\",\"J.D. 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