Did Pam Bondi claim her office investigated Jeffrey Epstein in 2008?

1. What Bondi has publicly claimed about the files and investigations

Pam Bondi told reporters and lawmakers she has released tens of thousands of Epstein documents to Hill offices and has sought broad disclosure, and in early 2025 she publicly accused the FBI of holding back “thousands of pages” that she had not received, directing FBI leadership to account for the omission ^{[1] [2]}. She also filed motions to unseal grand jury transcripts and framed the department’s actions as following the law while protecting victims ^{[3] [6]}.

2. The 2008 plea and timeline that matters to the question

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges and served 13 months of an 18‑month sentence; that 2008 “deal of the century” is the commonly cited milestone in reports ^{[7] [5]}. Bondi first took office as Florida attorney general in 2011, three years after the 2008 plea, which is central to whether her office could have investigated or prosecuted Epstein in 2008 itself ^[5].

3. Claims and counterclaims about whether Bondi’s office investigated in 2008

None of the provided sources say Bondi’s office investigated Epstein in 2008. Multiple outlets emphasize that Palm Beach and federal prosecutors handled earlier matters and that Bondi’s tenure began in 2011; The Independent and the Palm Beach Post state she “could have” prosecuted Epstein while Florida AG but stop short of saying her office actually investigated him in 2008 — and experts note she wouldn’t automatically open a new probe without a referral or new evidence ^{[4] [5]}. Because the sources do not report a Bondi‑office investigation in 2008, available sources do not mention that her office investigated Epstein that year.

4. How Bondi framed her later role and the Justice Department’s actions

In 2025 Bondi positioned the DOJ as aggressively pursuing or at least disclosing Epstein materials: she announced expedited motions and the release of declassified files and directed inquiries into perceived withholding of files by the FBI ^{[8] [3] [2]}. She also announced targeted DOJ reviews of individuals named in Epstein correspondence — notably Democrats in some reports — which critics say may influence what is released or withheld under claims of active investigations ^{[9] [7]}.

5. Disagreements in the coverage and potential motives to note

Reporting differs on motivation and timing: some stories portray Bondi as pressing for transparency and pursuing withheld documents (Department press release and PBS coverage) while others stress a political element — Republicans watching her for selective probes into Democrats and critics suggesting the administration could use “ongoing investigations” as grounds to redact or withhold material ^{[8] [6] [7]}. Opinionated outlets frame Bondi’s moves as politically directed by the president; other sources present her legal filings and requests as routine DOJ actions ^{[9] [3]}.

6. What the sources do and do not establish — limitations

The provided reporting documents Bondi’s 2025 actions and statements about files, and establishes Epstein’s 2008 plea and Bondi’s 2011 start as Florida AG, but none of these sources say Bondi’s office conducted an investigation into Epstein in 2008. Available sources do not mention a Bondi‑office investigation in 2008; they say federal and Palm Beach authorities handled the earlier case and that any prosecution opportunity for Bondi would have fallen during or after her 2011‑2019 tenure ^{[5] [7] [4]}.

7. Bottom line for your question

If the question is strictly “Did Pam Bondi claim her office investigated Jeffrey Epstein in 2008?” the sources do not show she made that claim; instead they show she has asserted she sought and released Epstein files and later accused the FBI of withholding thousands of pages, and commentators note she could have prosecuted while Florida AG (posts‑2011) but she was not in office in 2008 ^{[1] [2] [5] [4]}.