Obama Official Demands Secret Trump Files Be Unsealed

Norm Eisen launches sweeping inquiry into DOJ’s Epstein records, alleging cover-up by Trump allies in power

Former Obama White House ethics czar Norm Eisen just threw a political grenade into Donald Trump’s Justice Department.

In a bombshell move, Eisen has filed an aggressive Freedom of Information Act request demanding the release of any and all Justice Department and FBI documents related to the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein—specifically those that mention Trump, Mar-a-Lago, or were reviewed by Trump’s own appointees.

“The government’s credibility is hanging by a thread,” Eisen warned in a fiery statement posted to his Substack. “The American people deserve the truth—and they deserve it now.”

The request, filed through Eisen’s watchdog group States United Democracy Defenders Fund, seeks records touched by a cast of Trump loyalists now controlling the levers of law enforcement: Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel, and FBI Deputy Dan Bongino.

“They know what’s in the Epstein files,” Eisen wrote. “We’re going to find out what they knew—and when they knew it.”

This comes just weeks after the Justice Department enraged even Trump’s own MAGA base by declaring in a controversial memo that Epstein died by suicide in 2019—and that no “client list” of high-powered co-conspirators exists. The backlash was swift, and calls for Bondi to resign have intensified across social media and cable news.

Critics allege the July 6 memo was nothing short of a coordinated attempt to put the Epstein scandal to rest just as whispers about Trump’s connections to the disgraced financier began gaining traction again.

THE TRUMP FACTOR

The Epstein story has long haunted Trump. A resurfaced 1997 photo shows Trump smiling alongside Epstein at Mar-a-Lago, a reminder of their once-public friendship. While Trump has denied any wrongdoing, critics point to overlapping social circles and past allegations as reasons the former—and now current—president cannot be left out of the Epstein narrative.

Eisen is demanding full transparency.

The FOIA request also demands internal DOJ communications discussing how to handle references to Trump or Mar-a-Lago, meeting notes, and any assessments shared with senior Trump officials.

Bondi allegedly informed Trump earlier this year that his name appears in Epstein-related material, a claim Trump has flatly denied.

The Justice Department, true to form under Trump’s reign, has refused to comment.

A LONGTIME TRUMP FOE STRIKES AGAIN

Eisen is no stranger to Donald Trump—or his legal entanglements.

He helped spearhead the first emoluments lawsuit against Trump, served as special counsel during the 2019 impeachment, and has written extensively on the former president’s business dealings and alleged corruption.

“Trump wants us talking about UFOs and ‘rigged witch hunts,’ not this,” Eisen quipped on X, formerly Twitter. “But the Epstein files are real. And this regime is terrified of what’s inside.”

His watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has spent years tracking the Trump Organization’s foreign profits, questionable deals, and apparent disregard for ethics laws.

GROWING PRESSURE FROM ALL SIDES

Adding fuel to the fire, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—who once ran as a Democrat—accused Obama earlier this month of fabricating the Russian interference scandal, calling it a “treasonous conspiracy.” Democrats widely view the bizarre accusation as a smokescreen meant to shift attention away from the Epstein controversy and looming questions about Trump’s entanglements.

For now, Trump is remaining uncharacteristically silent about Eisen’s demand. But behind the scenes, the panic is palpable. Calls for congressional oversight are growing louder, and even some moderate Republicans are privately voicing concern about how far the DOJ’s cover-up might reach.

One thing is certain: Eisen isn’t backing down. And if these files ever see the light of day, Trump’s “GIANT WIN” at the Supreme Court last month may feel like a distant memory.