Director of the FBI Kash Patel broke his silence on Saturday over the controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files, asserting that related &#8220;conspiracy theories just aren&#8217;t true.&#8221;
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced there was no evidence to prove that Epstein had a client list, had blackmailed powerful people, or had been murdered. The revelations have come under fire from some politicos and others online who suggest government officials are not revealing the full trust or misled the public with past statements.
Additionally, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan+and+Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=BONDI+OR+BONGINO%3A+Bongino+Won’t+Remain+At+FBI+If+Bondi+Keeps+Job%2C+Source+Says">it&#8217;s been rumored</a> that Patel, along with FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino, do not want to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi and were considering leaving if she remains at her post.
&#8220;The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been,&#8221; Patel said Saturday on X. &#8220;It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States [Donald Trump] — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.&#8221;
Patel has <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/fbi-director-kash-patel-shoots-down-jeffrey-epstein-conspiracy-theory-in-senate-testimony/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">said</a> numerous times publicly that he believes Epstein committed suicide in the Metropolitan Detention Center.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The conspiracy theories just aren’t true, never have been. It’s an honor to serve the President of the United States <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> — and I’ll continue to do so for as long as he calls on me.
— Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Kash_Patel/status/1944101148903760317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
Patel also re-posted a message from his girlfriend, country singer and conservative activist Alexis Wilkins. False rumors began circulating about the 26-year-old following the DOJ&#8217;s announcement about Epstein, she says.
&#8220;I’ve spent my career saying no to anything that would compromise my character and working to restore America,&#8221; Wilkins wrote on X. &#8220;It’s disappointing to see people with no real contribution to political discourse spin ridiculous conspiracy theories out of thin air.&#8221;
&#8220;These accusations are obviously insanely ridiculous and coming from accounts that are farming because their engagement dried up after Trump’s win,&#8221; she charged. &#8220;I would encourage anyone interested to actually research the facts of my life — they’re readily available. My happy relationship, my work, my Christian Faith, and my integrity speak for themselves.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’ve spent my career saying no to anything that would compromise my character and working to restore America. It’s disappointing to see people with no real contribution to political discourse spin ridiculous conspiracy theories out of thin air. These accusations are obviously…
— Alexis Wilkins (@AlexisWilkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlexisWilkins/status/1943050167130746916?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
The heat over the handling of the Epstein files has been largely targeted on Bondi.
Bongino is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan+and+Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=BONDI+OR+BONGINO%3A+Bongino+Won’t+Remain+At+FBI+If+Bondi+Keeps+Job%2C+Source+Says">reportedly</a> furious over Bondi&#8217;s handling of the files, and allegedly stormed out of a closed-door meeting on the matter. A source <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Daily Wire on Friday that Bongino has threatened to not return to his post if Bondi remains as attorney general.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/details-emerge-from-bonginos-reported-tense-meeting-with-bondi-trump-chief-of-staff?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Details+Emerge+From+Bongino’s+Reported+Tense+Meeting+With+Bondi%2C+Trump+Chief+Of+Staff">Details Emerge From Bongino’s Reported Tense Meeting With Bondi, Trump Chief Of Staff</a>

Kash Patel

FBI Director Kash Patel Responds To Controversy Surrounding Epstein Files

Dan Bongino

Department of Justice

Jeffrey Epstein

kash patel

Pam Bondi

U.S.

Dan Bongino, the deputy director of the FBI, had a tense meeting with Attorney General Pam Bondi and Trump White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a new report.
Bongino is furious with Bondi over the handling of the files, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan+and+Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=BONDI+OR+BONGINO%3A+Bongino+Won’t+Remain+At+FBI+If+Bondi+Keeps+Job%2C+Source+Says">The Daily Wire</a> reported Friday. A source close to the deputy director said that he’s effectively issued an ultimatum, saying he won’t work alongside Bondi.
During a closed-door meeting on the Epstein matter this past week, Bongino raised his voice while speaking to Wiles and stormed out, sources <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/inside-dan-bonginos-tense-meeting-white-house-officials-over-jeffrey-epstein-fallout">told</a> Fox News. Bongino also allegedly exchanged &#8220;heated words&#8221; with Bondi during the same meeting.
Another source agreed that Bongino was &#8220;enraged&#8221; during the meeting, but said the deputy director never yelled at either woman. A White House official similarly said Bongino did not yell at Wiles, per Fox News.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced there was no evidence to prove that Epstein had a client list, had blackmailed powerful people, or had been murdered. Bondi has been criticized for suggesting she had Epstein&#8217;s client list &#8220;sitting&#8221; on her desk months ago.
“In February, I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because … I was asked a question about the ‘client list’ and my response was, ‘It’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file, along with the JFK, MLK files as well,” Bondi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-reporter-for-asking-about-epstein-case-as-americans-doubt-dojs-conclusions?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Rips+Reporter+For+Asking+About+Epstein+Case+As+Americans+Doubt+DOJ%E2%80%99s+Conclusions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, when asked about those past comments. &#8220;That’s what I meant by that.”
Bondi also said the missing minute from the released Metropolitan Detention Center footage was standard.
“We learned from the Bureau of Prisons that every night they redo that video,&#8221; she said on Tuesday. &#8220;So, every night the video is reset, and every night should have the same minute missing.”
Bondi added that the DOJ is looking to publish additional footage to prove the video reset happens every night.
Despite criticism and allegations that Bongino wants her gone, sources close to Bondi say she has no intention of stepping down. And the White House so far seems to be backing the idea that no one is leaving their post.
&#8220;President Trump has assembled a highly qualified and experienced law and order team dedicated to protecting Americans, holding criminals accountable, and delivering justice to victims. This work is being carried out seamlessly and with unity,&#8221; White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbis-dan-bongino-ag-bondi-clash-over-handling-epstein-files">told</a> Fox News on Friday. &#8220;Any attempt to sow division within this team is baseless and distracts from the real progress being made in restoring public safety and pursuing justice for all.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bondi-or-bongino-bongino-wont-remain-at-fbi-if-bondi-keeps-job-source-says?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan+and+Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=BONDI+OR+BONGINO%3A+Bongino+Won’t+Remain+At+FBI+If+Bondi+Keeps+Job%2C+Source+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BONDI OR BONGINO: Bongino Won’t Remain At FBI If Bondi Keeps Job, Source Says</a>

Dan Bongino, Pam Bondi

Details Emerge From Bongino’s Reported Tense Meeting With Bondi, Trump Chief Of Staff

Susie Wiles

Trump Administration

Dan Bongino, the Deputy Director of the FBI, is threatening to leave the bureau if Attorney General Pam Bondi remains on the job, a source close to Bongino tells The Daily Wire.
Bongino is reportedly furious with Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, which has led many to believe he could walk away from the job that he took in February. The source close to Bongino said that he’s effectively issued an ultimatum, saying he won’t work alongside Bondi.
Bongino left a lucrative career in broadcasting to take the job in the Trump administration. He was not present at the FBI on Friday, after a reported spat with the attorney general earlier this week over the Epstein situation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Source close to Dan Bongino tells me it’s either him or Pam Bondi, and that he won’t stay at FBI if she stays at DOJ.
&mdash; Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1943758528772030565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The rift between Bongino and Bondi intensified on Wednesday, days after the Department of Justice announced there was no evidence to prove that child rapist Jeffrey Epstein had a client list, had blackmailed powerful people, or had been murdered. Bondi had promised to reveal major details in the case five months ago, when there were no massive revelations to bring forward.
The deputy FBI director, who raised questions about Epstein’s death before he was in the Trump administration, said in May that his review of the file and hours of video recording from Epstein’s jail proved that the child abuser committed suicide. FBI Director Kash Patel also said that the evidence the bureau has reviewed shows that Epstein was not murdered.
A source close to the Justice Department told The Daily Wire that Patel also wants Bondi gone, and that he would consider departing alongside Bongino. The source also said that Patel wants Bondi to unseal more documents.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MORE: Source close to DOJ says Kash Patel also wants Pam Bondi gone, and that he’d consider leaving if Bongino leaves. Also that there are more frustrations with other documents Bondi hasn’t released. <a href="https://t.co/e1WYXHxdRN">https://t.co/e1WYXHxdRN</a>
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/1943771065307849030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Now, Bongino is considering sending in his resignation over the fallout with Bondi. While it remains unclear if Bongino will step down, his normally active official social media account has been <a href="https://x.com/FBIDDBongino">quiet</a> since Wednesday, when his frustration with Bondi reportedly boiled over.
One source close to Bongino predicted to Axios, “He ain’t coming back.” Trump administration officials, however, are saying that Bongino remains on the job.
Bondi was criticized after stating in February that she had Epstein’s client list on her desk and then walking that statement back earlier this week when the DOJ revealed that it did not find evidence that a client list exists. The DOJ and FBI were also criticized after releasing over 10 hours of video footage from the hallway attached to Epstein’s jail cell when people noticed that there was one minute of footage missing from the tape.
“In February, I did an interview on Fox, and it’s been getting a lot of attention because … I was asked a question about the ‘client list’ and my response was, ‘It’s sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file, along with the JFK, MLK files as well,” Bondi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-reporter-for-asking-about-epstein-case-as-americans-doubt-dojs-conclusions?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=13&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Rips+Reporter+For+Asking+About+Epstein+Case+As+Americans+Doubt+DOJ%E2%80%99s+Conclusions">said</a> during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “That’s what I meant by that.”
During that same Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump blasted a reporter for asking Bondi about the Epstein case.
“That is unbelievable. … I mean I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this when we’re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas,” Trump said. “It just seems like a desecration.”

BONDI OR BONGINO: Bongino Won’t Remain At FBI If Bondi Keeps Job, Source Says

May Resign Over Pam Bondi's Handling Of Epstein Files: Reports

Donald Trump

I know many, many people are deeply disappointed by the fact that the DOJ and FBI just announced that the Epstein case is essentially closed: that he killed himself, that there is no Epstein List, and that it’s pretty much the end of the process. I get it. Jeffrey Epstein was a total and complete piece of human debris, a predatory criminal who inflicted unspeakable harm on vulnerable underage girls, and he deserved far worse than he got.
But that doesn’t mean that the Trump administration is lying. It doesn’t mean all our questions are answered, or that evidence has been provided to answer them.
But here’s my deal: if Dan Bongino, Kash Patel, Pam Bondi, JD Vance and Donald Trump told me today that after looking at all the evidence, it turns out Epstein was a Mossad agent who trafficked young girls in order to blackmail prominent people, I’d believe them, because they saw the evidence. I haven’t.
But that’s not what they’re telling me.
So why do I believe them? Because they asked the same exact questions the rest of us did. They wanted the same exact answers.
So, here’s the deal: It’s our job to follow the evidence, or lack thereof, wherever it leads. I don’t have more evidence today that answers my questions than I did yesterday – except that I have the word of people I trust who do. I didn’t suddenly gain access to more information. But Dan, Kash, Pam, JD Vance, and Trump did.
Kash Patel and Dan Bongino were among the loudest voices demanding the truth about Epstein. They, like many of us, strongly suspected a cover-up in Epstein’s death and hoped for a bombshell revelation. These guys were never shills for the establishment – they built their reputations by challenging it.
Dan Bongino has been a stalwart defender of truth and transparency. He’s the guy who’s been on the front lines exposing the Russia hoax, the guy who’s been calling out the weaponization of federal agencies, the guy who’s been consistently right about institutional corruption. When someone like that tells you he’s reviewed the entire file and that Epstein killed himself, shouldn’t that carry some weight? Shouldn’t we extend the benefit of the doubt to people who have earned our trust through years of principled stands?
<div id="attachment_926611" style="width: 993px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-926611" class="size-large wp-image-926611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Kash-Patel-983x576.jpg" alt="Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)" width="983" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Kash-Patel-983x576.jpg 983w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Kash-Patel-300x176.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Kash-Patel-768x450.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/Kash-Patel.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 983px) 100vw, 983px" />Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</div>
And Kash Patel – this is someone who worked inside the system, who saw the deep state machinations firsthand, who helped expose the FISA abuses and the corruption at the highest levels of government. These aren’t establishment apologists. These are people who have put their careers on the line to expose uncomfortable truths. So when they, along with JD Vance, Pam Bondi, and President Trump, who all operated under the exact same assumptions, tell us that the evidence doesn’t support the conspiracy theories we’ve been entertaining, maybe – just maybe – we should listen.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-2234-the-real-jeffrey-epstein-story?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=The+Ben+Shapiro+Show&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Carousel">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
Again, I understand the skepticism. After years of being lied to by the media, after seeing how institutions have been weaponized against conservatives, our default position has become one of suspicion. And that’s not entirely unreasonable. But here’s what should separate the rational from the irrational: to follow the evidence where it leads, even when it’s uncomfortable, and even or especially when it contradicts our preconceived notions.
And, again, if one day, legitimate evidence emerges that this was a coordinated cover-up and a genuine conspiracy orchestrated by this administration — I’ll be the first to come out and say I got it wrong and they lied. When new evidence emerges, I change my opinion.
That’s what it means to follow the facts.
I understand this is a tough pill to swallow. I really do. We were all making assumptions in similar ways about Jeffrey Epstein. But so were the members of the Trump administration until they saw what we haven’t seen.
For years, we’ve been operating under the collective belief that there were some mysteries to be solved here. The narrative was compelling; it made sense given the evil nature of the crimes at play.
But here’s the thing – and this is where we need to separate emotion from evidence – the facts are what the facts are. The FBI has concluded its investigation. The Justice Department has released its findings. Multiple independent investigations have all reached the same conclusion: Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, and there is no evidence of a client list.
So, let’s go back through this case and examine the legitimate questions – and there were legitimate questions. And then let’s discuss the possibilities rationally, knowing what we know.
<div id="attachment_758081" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-758081" class="size-large wp-image-758081" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-864x576.jpg" alt="Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell attend de Grisogono Sponsors The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefitting Wall Street Rising, with a Performance by Rod Stewart at Cipriani Wall Street on March 15, 2005 in New York City." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/07/GettyImages-590696434-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images</div>
<h3>WHAT WERE THE ALLEGATIONS?</h3>
<h3>Ghislaine Maxwell: The Facts</h3>
She was convicted for her role in recruiting, grooming, and trafficking underage girls for the sexual abuse of Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was identified as the main perpetrator.
<h3>So, Who Alleged the Involvement of Third Parties?</h3>
Virginia Giuffre: She claimed that Maxwell and Epstein told her to have sex with Epstein’s powerful friends and associates, including Prince Andrew, Senator George Mitchell, and Alan Dershowitz. She provided zero supporting evidence of these allegations about anyone but Epstein and Prince Andrew, who appeared in a photo with Giuffre and Maxwell in London. Prince Andrew settled a civil lawsuit and did not admit guilt. She had credibility problems: she apparently changed her details many times, including even her age when she met Epstein. She gave a deposition in 2016 in which she contradicted earlier statements about interactions with individuals, including her allegations that she had not been in a helicopter with Bill Clinton. She also dropped her claims against Dershowitz, saying she may have erred. Prosecutors didn’t even include her allegations in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
<div id="attachment_900695" style="width: 846px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-900695" class="size-large wp-image-900695" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-1903196548-836x576.jpg" alt="" width="836" height="576" />Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images</div>
Sarah Ransome: She alleged that Maxwell and Epstein trafficked girls to Epstein’s “colleagues” and powerful men, including Clinton, Trump, and Richard Branson. She provided no evidence to support the allegations. She sued Epstein and Maxwell, and settled out of court. She claimed that she was sexually trafficked when she was 22, that she was threatened, and her passport was removed.
Johanna Sjoberg: She testified about being present with Giuffre, Prince Andrew, and Maxwell, and said Prince Andrew acted inappropriately, but she didn’t allege that Maxwell trafficked her to third parties.
<h3>Why Did Epstein Settle His Original Criminal Case in 2008? </h3>
Originally, he settled under a non-prosecution agreement, after facing a 53-page federal indictment for sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. Prosecutors instead pursued solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors for prostitution. The non-prosecution agreement (NPA) didn’t just protect Epstein, it protected four named co-conspirators and any unnamed co-conspirators. He served only 13 months in county jail, much of it on work release.
Acosta and his team believed that Epstein registering as a sex offender was better than running through a trial that may have ended the way P. Diddy’s case did. He claimed that it would have put underage girls through trauma.
Multiple Department of Justice reviews found no evidence that Acosta’s decision was motivated by corruption, Epstein’s wealth, status, or associations. The DOJ concluded that Acosta exercised &#8220;poor judgment&#8221; but did not commit professional misconduct or act under improper influence.
<h3>Is There Any Evidence Epstein Was An Intelligence Asset?</h3>
Then-US Attorney Alexander Acosta allegedly claimed that he was told by higher officials that Epstein was “of importance to the government” and to “leave it alone.” Acosta apparently decided to resolve the case through a plea arrangement before the federal investigation had concluded. Acosta, when asked if Epstein “belonged to intelligence,” refused to comment, citing DOJ guidelines. He never publicly made this allegation. He actually said, “There has been reporting to that effect. And let me say, there’s been report to a lot of effects in this case. Not just now but over the years. And again, I would, I would hesitate to take this reporting as fact.”
Zero governments, U.S. or otherwise, have acknowledged Epstein as an intelligence asset.
Epstein’s properties were wired with hidden cameras, and witnesses reported surveillance footage monitored and stored.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, Robert Maxwell, allegedly had ties to Israeli intelligence.
Epstein had an Austrian passport with a false name as well as a Saudi address, and worked with Adnan Khashoggi, a known arms dealer and intelligence asset. 
<h3>How Did Epstein Make His Money?</h3>
He started working at Bear Stearns in the 1970s and became a limited partner by 1980. He then founded a consulting firm called the International Assets Group/Intercontinental Assets Group, which claimed to recover stolen money for wealthy clients. He worked with Steven Hoffenberg at the Towers Financial Corporation, which later was exposed as a Ponzi scheme. It’s not clear how involved he was. He then founded the Financial Trust Company, which had essentially one client – Leslie Wexner, of Victoria’s Secret fame – which was the basis for his wealth. Wexner later accused Epstein of misappropriating vast sums of money for personal use. He also received $158M from Leon Black for tax and estate planning services.
Deutsche Bank was fined $150 million for compliance failures related to Epstein; JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank settled lawsuits alleging that they benefitted from his illegal activities.
<h3>Did Epstein Kill Himself?</h3>
The DOJ has run multiple investigations and found that Epstein killed himself.
The DOJ and Bureau of Prisons stated that the missing minute of tape is a recurring technical artifact: the video system resets at midnight every night.
The camera angle didn’t include Epstein’s cell because two other cameras malfunctioned. Available footage, according to the DOJ, would have covered anyone going in or out.
Again, I don’t know the answers to all the questions. But I know people who have far more access to evidence than I do. I know them personally. Maybe they’re all lying to me. Maybe they’re all in on it.
But here’s the thing: if they told me the opposite, I’d believe them. So, here’s what should happen next: a full report from the FBI and DOJ explaining just why they came to the conclusions they did. One that answers our questions as fully as possible – and explains what they don’t know, either. More transparency is a good thing.
But in the meantime, I’m not going to call all of these people liars or suggest they’re victims of an op or running one. Because I have no evidence for that.
And when the evidence changes, I change my position.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-TRUMP

The Epstein Case: Why I Believe We Are Getting The Truth

Ben Shapiro

Ghislaine Maxwell

Opinion

Virginia Guiffre

The FBI busted a multi-million dollar marijuana trafficking scheme run by Chinese nationals, the Justice Department said Tuesday. 
Seven Chinese nationals were charged over an alleged marijuana conspiracy operating out of Massachusetts and Maine. Investigators said that the operation, which began in January 2020, generated millions of dollars by distributing kilogram-sized quantities of marijuana in bulk.
“This case pulls back the curtain on a sprawling criminal enterprise that exploited our immigration system and our communities for personal gain,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/seven-chinese-nationals-charged-alleged-roles-multi-million-dollar-money-laundering">said</a> U.S. Attorney Leah Foley. “These defendants allegedly turned quiet homes across the Northeast into hubs for a criminal enterprise – building a multi-million-dollar black-market operation off the backs of an illegal workforce and using our neighborhoods as cover. That ends today.”
Those charged are 39-year-old Jianxiong Chen, 36-year-old Yuxiong Wu, 38-year-old Dinghui Li, 35-year-old Dechao Ma, 35-year-old Peng Lian Zhu, 35-year-old Hongbin Wu, and 47-year-old Yanrong Zhu. Yanrong Zhu &#8220;remains a fugitive,&#8221; while the others were all taken into federal custody, according to the DOJ. 
They are all charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and many face money laundering charges as well. Chen, who investigators say was the mastermind behind the operation, is also charged with smuggling aliens into the United States. 
<div id="attachment_944505" style="width: 994px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-944505" class="size-full wp-image-944505" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.45.27%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" width="984" height="667" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.45.27%E2%80%AFAM.png 984w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.45.27%E2%80%AFAM-300x203.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.45.27%E2%80%AFAM-850x576.png 850w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.45.27%E2%80%AFAM-768x521.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 984px) 100vw, 984px" />Illegal marijuana seized: DOJ</div>
FBI agent Ted Docks said that Chen, who lived in Braintree, Massachusetts, a city about 12 miles south of Boston, smuggled Chinese nationals over the Mexican border and forced them to work at marijuana grow houses to pay off the smuggling fees and get their passports back. 
In addition to Braintree, there were grow houses in the Massachusetts cities of Melrose and Greenfield. 
In October 2024, investigators recovered more than $270,000 in cash, a Porsche, and multiple Chinese passports and other identification documents inside a safe at Chen’s house in Braintree. Investigators also seized more than 109 kilograms of marijuana, nearly $200,000 in cash, and a $65,000 Rolex watch at the homes of other alleged conspirators. 
<div id="attachment_944509" style="width: 990px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-944509" class="size-full wp-image-944509" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.16.11%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" width="980" height="609" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.16.11%E2%80%AFAM.png 980w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.16.11%E2%80%AFAM-300x186.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.16.11%E2%80%AFAM-927x576.png 927w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-09-at-9.16.11%E2%80%AFAM-768x477.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px" />Massachusetts home at center of Chinese marijuana ring: DOJ.</div>
In the last several years, Chinese-backed marijuana operations have cropped up across the United States, and there have been major drug busts in states like New Mexico and <a href="https://www.themainewire.com/2023/11/triad-weed-illegal-chinese-marijuana-grows-are-all-over-maine/">Maine</a>. In Maine alone, Border Patrol has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-chinese-marijuana-grow-operations-worth-billions-cropping-up-in-maine-border-patrol-memo">reportedly</a> identified at least 270 illegal marijuana grow operations that are worth billions of dollars.
Congressional lawmakers have also launched inquiries into the issue, saying that the operations pose significant national security risks.

Beautiful green leaves of marijuana close up

FBI Busts Chinese Nationals For Multi-Million Dollar Drug Ring, Exploiting Immigration System

Communist China

Crime

Drugs

Maine

Marijuana

Massachusetts

The FBI is reportedly probing former CIA Director John Brennan and former FBI Director James Comey over their actions related to the Trump-Russia investigation of the 2016 election.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe made referrals for investigation and potential prosecution of the former top intelligence officials to FBI Director Kash Patel. The bureau has opened criminal investigations into both Brennan and Comey, though the scope of those investigations is unclear, Department of Justice officials told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/john-brennan-james-comey-under-criminal-investigation-doj-sources.amp">Fox News</a>.
Last week, Ratcliffe <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/02/us-news/obamas-trump-russia-collusion-report-was-corrupt-from-start-cia-review/">declassified</a> a “tradecraft review” of the 2016 investigation into Russian election meddling and President Donald Trump. The review determined that the investigation may have been sullied by corruption from the start.
Former President Barack Obama ordered Brennan, Comey, and then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to look into Russian attempts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, and what links, if any, those attempts may have had with the Trump campaign. Obama’s intelligence trio cut corners and froze out most of the rest of the United States intelligence community from the assessment in the atypical investigation, according to the memo.
The after-action report identified “multiple procedural anomalies” such as “a highly compressed production timeline, stringent compartmentation, and excessive involvement of agency heads.” The procedural oddities undermined the integrity and credibility of the CIA, the report said.
Brennan took the lead on the assessment. He overrode the advice of senior officials at the CIA who recommended not including the unsubstantiated Steele Dossier in the final report
“Despite these objections, Brennan showed a preference for narrative consistency over analytical soundness,” Ratcliffe’s review says. “When confronted with specific flaws in the Dossier by the two mission center leaders — one with extensive operational experience and the other with a strong analytic background — he appeared more swayed by the Dossier&#8217;s general conformity with existing theories than by legitimate tradecraft concerns.”
After the review was completed, its findings motivated Ratcliffe to refer Brennan to the FBI for investigation of potential wrongdoing, according to Fox News.
Brennan “violated the public’s trust and should be held accountable for it,” one official told Fox News without going into detail on what in particular Brennan is being investigated for.

James Comey, John Brennan

Trump DOJ Puts Brennan And Comey Under Investigation For Russiagate: Report

Brennan, Comey Under Criminal Investigation Over 2016 Trump-Russia Probe: Report

James Comey

John Brennan

John Ratcliffe

President Donald Trump blasted a reporter on Tuesday for asking a question about child rapist Jeffrey Epstein after the Department of Justice concluded that there was no evidence to prove that Epstein had a client list, had blackmailed powerful people, or was murdered.
During a Cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump responded when Attorney General Pam Bondi was asked about the DOJ&#8217;s findings in the Epstein case.
&#8220;Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?&#8221; Trump asked. &#8220;This guy has been talked about for years. &#8230; We have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things — are people still talking about this guy, this creep?&#8221;
&#8220;That is unbelievable. &#8230; I mean I can&#8217;t believe you&#8217;re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this when we&#8217;re having some of the greatest success and also tragedy with what happened in Texas,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It just seems like a desecration.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 BREAKING: President Trump GOES OFF on reporter for asking about Jeffrey Epstein, Pam Bondi says the child p*rn Epstein files can NOT be released, ever.
TRUMP: &#8220;Are you still talking about &#8211; Jeffrey EPSTEIN? &#8230; We have Texas, this, all of the things&#8230;are people still talking… <a href="https://t.co/SsNWZHkd4Y">pic.twitter.com/SsNWZHkd4Y</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1942621459878199741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this week, the DOJ <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-drops-11-hour-video-of-jeffrey-epsteins-prison-cell-on-night-he-died">released</a> an 11-hour video showing the hallway near the cell where Epstein was found dead in August 2019. The DOJ concluded that Epstein committed suicide, saying that the footage, which was previously reviewed by the FBI, confirmed that no one entered Epstein&#8217;s cell in the hours before he was found dead. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino have also maintained that the evidence proves that Epstein killed himself.
The DOJ and FBI, however, were criticized after people noticed that the footage of the cell hallway released by the Justice Department doesn&#8217;t include a view of Epstein&#8217;s cell door and skips ahead in one portion, leaving out roughly a minute of footage. Bondi addressed the missing video during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, telling reporters they are investigating whether the prison&#8217;s surveillance system routinely cuts off at that time each night or if it only failed on the night of Epstein&#8217;s death.
Bondi, who said in February that she had Epstein&#8217;s client list on her desk for review, was slammed after the DOJ concluded that there is no Epstein client list. The AG also addressed those criticisms, clarifying that her previous remarks referred to the Epstein files in general, not a specific client list.
&#8220;In February, I did an interview on Fox, and it&#8217;s been getting a lot of attention because &#8230; I was asked a question about the &#8216;client list&#8217; and my response was, &#8216;It&#8217;s sitting on my desk to be reviewed, meaning the file, along with the JFK, MLK files as well,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what I meant by that.&#8221;
Many people remain skeptical of the DOJ&#8217;s findings on Epstein. Lisa Bryant, the director and executive producer of Netflix documentaries &#8220;Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich&#8221; and &#8220;Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich,&#8221; told &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhKcB0yY_p4">Morning Wire</a>&#8221; on Tuesday that she calls &#8220;BS&#8221; on the DOJ&#8217;s conclusions that there is no evidence that Epstein blackmailed powerful people who allegedly had sex with minors on his infamous island. She also blasted the DOJ for releasing a video that doesn&#8217;t even include Epstein&#8217;s cell door.
Prominent conservative radio host Glenn Beck <a href="https://x.com/glennbeck/status/1942623712471036164">called</a> for Bondi to resign on Tuesday, &#8220;not because of a cover-up, but for incompetence.&#8221;
&#8220;Not only is there a minute missing from the Epstein cell video, BUT IT WASN&#8217;T EVEN THE RIGHT CAMERA ANGLE,&#8221; Beck added. &#8220;What the DOJ gave us was a partial view of the facility, which JUST MISSES Epstein&#8217;s cell. We&#8217;ve known for years there wasn&#8217;t a working camera on his cell, so WHY RELEASE THIS VIDEO? And why not tell us there&#8217;s a video glitch in advance of the release?! This isn&#8217;t about whether Epstein killed himself or not. What matters more is REAL transparency and justice. But instead what we got was absolute INCOMPETENCE in the Attorney General&#8217;s office.&#8221;

Trump Rips Reporter For Asking About Epstein Case As Americans Doubt DOJ’s Conclusions

Executive

Politics

The Department of Justice released video from the prison in which the late financier and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019, concluding that nobody entered his cell that day and that it was in fact a suicide.
The video was released in a memo that also details Justice Department findings from an investigation into the existence of an Epstein “client list”  and questions around his death. The findings state that Epstein did not keep a “client list” and that his death in 2019 was a suicide.
The memo says that FBI agents reviewed “more than 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence” in its investigation into Epstein and his death.
“This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list.’ There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” said the memo, obtained by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/07/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-client-list-trump-administration">Axios</a>.
As part of the investigation, FBI agents reviewed footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Facility in New York from the day Epstein died. The Justice Department released nearly 11 hours of footage from the common area of the “Special Housing Unit” in the facility where Epstein was held.
The Department of Justice released two versions of the footage, a “<a href="https://www.justice.gov/video-file1">raw</a>” and “<a href="https://www.justice.gov/video-file2">enhanced</a>” version. The enhanced version of the footage the FBI made by “increasing its contrast, balancing the color, and improving its sharpness for greater clarity and viewability.”
“[A]nyone entering or attempting to enter the tier where Epstein’s cell was located from the SHU common area would have been captured by this footage. The FBI’s independent review of this footage confirmed that from the time Epstein was locked in his cell at around 10:40 pm on August 9, 2019, until around 6:30 am the next morning, nobody entered any of the tiers in the SHU,” the memo says.
“After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019,” the memo says. “This conclusion is consistent with previous findings, including the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the November 2019 position of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with the investigation of federal correctional officers responsible for guarding Epstein, and the June 2023 conclusions of DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.”
The department&#8217;s findings echo statements that FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino have said about Epstein since taking up posts at the agency. In May, Bongino in an appearance on Fox News <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/clear-as-day-bongino-says-fbi-will-release-convincing-video-on-epsteins-death">said</a> that the Justice Department would eventually release video that shows “clear as day, [Epstein is] the only person in there and the only person coming out. You can see it.”

Kash Patel, Pam Bondi

DOJ Drops 11-Hour Video Of Jeffrey Epstein’s Prison Cell On Night He Died

DOJ Drops 11-Hour Video From Prison On Night Epstein Died

Federal authorities are investigating allegations of China-tied, for-profit baby selling operations in California, The Daily Wire can first report.
Federal sources inside California confirmed the investigation into the alleged &#8220;rent-a-womb&#8221; scheme on Wednesday evening, after The Daily Wire inquired into claims that the California Department of Child and Family Services removed over 20 babies from the home of a Chinese couple running the Marks Surrogacy agency.
Surrogate mother Kayla Elliot shared with The Daily Wire that she was one of many women contacted through Facebook by Marks Surrogacy, which is now going by the name &#8220;<a href="https://www.futurespringsurrogacy.com/">Future Spring Surrogacy</a>,&#8221; an agency that pairs parents with potential surrogate mothers. She entered into a contract with the agency, carried the baby to term, and gave up the baby to its &#8220;intended parents,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire.
She says that she and multiple women across the country were contracted by the surrogacy agency to carry children for the same “intended parents&#8221; — who, she says, turned out to be Mandarin-speaking employees of the surrogacy agency that had recruited her. 
Then she learned, to her horror, that the California child services agency had allegedly discovered 21 babies in the home of the &#8220;intended parents,&#8221; and that the baby she had birthed was in the care of the state. Elliot said she has since been contacted by the FBI and questioned thoroughly about the agency, its handling of the baby, its ties to China, and more.
The California Department of Child and Family Services and Future Spring Surrogacy did not immediately return The Daily Wire&#8217;s requests for comment.
A federal source who spoke with The Daily Wire expressed concerns about the number of children who are born at California delivery centers.
This official described the situation as &#8220;very bizarre,&#8221; saying: &#8220;Babies are being neglected, then transported back to China.&#8221; And further, the official pondered, the children are born in the United States and thus have citizenship, but how does one prove that each baby is who the parents are saying they are?
&#8220;It&#8217;s a national security threat,&#8221; he stressed.
Elliot <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=MUAou2sIyzM&amp;feature=youtu.be">first shared her story</a> with the Center for Bioethics and Culture Executive Director Kallie Fell, who told The Daily Wire that her team was &#8220;devastated&#8221; by the story — but not surprised. Fell said that the case reflects a disturbing, deeper pattern of &#8220;commodification, deception, and international legal loopholes&#8221; in the surrogacy industry.
&#8220;For years, we’ve warned that the commercial surrogacy industry operates in legal and ethical gray zones, creating conditions ripe for abuse,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This case isn’t just about one agency or one couple; it reflects a deeper pattern of treating women as wombs-for-hire and children as commodities.&#8221;
&#8220;We believe this case points to a form of organized reproductive trafficking, and the public should be outraged,&#8221; Fell said. &#8220;And it won’t stop unless we hold the fertility industry accountable and close our borders to international surrogacy arrangements.&#8221;
Mark Surrogacy first reached out to the surrogate mother who spoke with The Daily Wire in January 2024 on Facebook, according to messages reviewed by The Daily Wire.
&#8220;I saw your post that you&#8217;re interested in becoming a surrogate,&#8221; the message said. &#8220;I currently am working with a Chinese couple located in Los Angeles CA. They are seeking to find a surrogate to have a baby for them. Would you be open to talk more about it?&#8221;
Elliot agreed to the conversation. She met the agency&#8217;s requirements and signed on with the agency in February. A July 2024 Facebook post from Mark Surrogacy shows Elliot smiling with a bouquet of flowers, saying that &#8220;the embryo is transferred successfully by early July this month.&#8221;
When she was about 17 weeks pregnant, however, Elliot began connecting with other surrogate mothers online. She told The Daily Wire that multiple women she connected with said that they had carried babies for the same Chinese couple, all at the same time.
“That’s when I knew something was seriously wrong,&#8221; she said in an interview with Fell. After the baby&#8217;s birth, she was connected with even more women who had carried babies for the same &#8220;intended parents.&#8221; 
These women, Elliot shared, were from Pennsylvania, Georgia, and California, and they had been talking to each other about the bizarre situation for weeks. They all began sending each other pictures of the same intended mother, she said. 
“There was actual diehard, like, picture proof of all these women holding their babes with the same mom standing right next to them,&#8221; she told Fell. &#8220;Some of them were within weeks of each other. I had the baby March 13, there was a girl who delivered the last week of February, another girl who delivered a couple weeks after I did.”
The women did not know who to contact or what to do, Elliot said. But, now that authorities are involved, they may get some answers.
&#8220;This is something NO ONE would have ever imagined,&#8221; Elliot wrote on Facebook. &#8220;Ever. Worst possible case scenario ever. We are all being patient as well, waiting to hear as investigations move forward. The only facts we have are the facts about our own personal journeys, yet somehow they all tie together in a strange twisted way&#8230;One day soon I&#8217;m sure this will all be up to the public on the news.&#8221;
<div class="x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a">
<div dir="auto">&#8220;Since I&#8217;ve come forward on other social media platforms and now [Facebook], many women have stepped forward, making posts in multiple agency review groups, and trying to raise awareness about this horrific agency,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Yes, all the stories are real. We don&#8217;t have guaranteed facts about what has been going on with this agency for years prior but we do now what they&#8217;re being investigated for now, so stay away and stay aware!&#8221;</div>
</div>
Through a GoFundMe, Elliot is now <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kayla-secure-custody-for-surrogate-baby?attribution_id=sl:df10acd4-e1dd-4050-9cf7-dbeb2d30e4b4&amp;utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">asking for funds</a> to hire a family lawyer to get custody of the baby she birthed this summer.

Stock photo, Getty Images.

EXCLUSIVE: Feds Investigating Alleged China-Linked ‘Rent-A-Womb’ Surrogacy Scandals In California

California

Surrogacy

The FBI announced Tuesday that it had selected the Ronald Reagan Building complex in Washington, D.C., to replace the historic J. Edgar Hoover Building as its headquarters.
The news comes after FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patel-says-fbi-is-shutting-down-d-c-hq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May that the bureau would be leaving the Hoover building, where it has been for over 50 years. The announcement was made in conjunction with the General Services Administration (GSA), which said the move to an existing government building instead of a new one would save taxpayer dollars. 
“This is a historic moment for the FBI,” Patel said. “Through our strong partnerships with members of Congress and GSA, we are ushering FBI Headquarters into a new era and providing our agents of justice a safer place to work. Moving to the Ronald Reagan Building is the most cost effective and resource efficient way to carry out our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution.”
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There have been talks for nearly two decades about moving the FBI from the Hoover building, which was completed in 1975. A <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-12-96.pdf">2011 report</a> from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the building needed serious repairs and was “inefficient” for the FBI’s needs.
“FBI&#8217;s existing headquarters at the Hoover building is a perfect example of a government building that has accumulated years of deferred maintenance, suffering from an aging water system to concrete falling off the structure,” said GSA Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian. “I am proud of GSA&#8217;s commitment to working with Director Patel and his FBI team to find a building that best supports their mission and their people.”
Both Maryland and Virginia attempted to get the FBI headquarters moved to their state, but President Trump said he wanted to keep the FBI based in D.C. Trump scuttled plans from former President Joe Biden to build a new $2.5 billion building in suburban Maryland for the FBI.
The Reagan Building currently houses U.S. Customs and Border Protection and was previously occupied by USAID, which has been shut down and transferred to the State Department. 
Before he became FBI director, Patel <a href="https://rollcall.com/2025/02/20/senate-confirms-kash-patel-as-fbi-director/">said</a> that he would “shut down the FBI Hoover building on Day 1 and [reopen it the] next day as a museum of the deep state.” Patel has also pledged to disperse the FBI employees across the country away from D.C.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

‘A Historic Moment’: Kash Patel Reveals Location Of New FBI Headquarters

Washington D.C.

Two Chinese nationals were arrested for allegedly working on behalf of a Chinese intelligence agency to recruit members of the United States military to betray America, the Justice Department announced.
The Justice Department said Tuesday that the FBI on June 27 had arrested 38-year-old Yuance Chen, a Chinese national who has legal permanent residency in Oregon, and 39-year-old Liren “Ryan” Lai, a Chinese national who entered the country on a tourist visa in April. Both were charged with operating within the United States as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the attorney general.
The criminal complaint against them says that they were working on behalf of the Ministry of State Security (MSS), Communist China’s primary foreign intelligence service. Specifically, they are accused of attempting to recruit members of the Navy to be assets for the MSS.
“This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/justice-department-charges-two-individuals-acting-agents-prc-government">said</a> Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country – we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.”
In January 2022, the pair facilitated the leaving of a backpack containing $10,000 from MSS in a locker at a recreational facility in Livermore, California, in a dead-drop payment in exchange for national security information on the United States, according to the Justice Department.
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“The FBI arrested two Chinese nationals who were allegedly attempting to recruit U.S. military service members on behalf of the PRC,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The Chinese Communist Party thought they were getting away with their scheme to operate on U.S. soil, utilizing spy craft, like dead drops, to pay their sources.”
The two also allegedly worked together to obtain recruitment information from a Naval installation in Washington and a Navy recruitment center in San Gabriel, California. Chen stole personal recruitment information and sent it to an MSS agent in China, the Justice Department said.
Chen allegedly met with MSS intelligence officers in April 2024 and March 2025 to discuss his assignments and what he would be paid. If convicted, the pair of Chinese nationals could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

AG Bondi, FBI Director Patel Hold Press Conference In Florida After Drug Seizure

Chinese Nationals Arrested Over Plot To Recruit American Military Personnel

Spying

U.S. Navy

Iran&#8217;s senior Shiite cleric has declared war on the President of the United States. The Islamic Republic’s Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi issued a <a href="https://x.com/mdubowitz/status/1939343304836911200">fatwa</a> stating that threats against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — particularly by President Trump — constitute a war against Islam. &#8220;Any collaboration,&#8221; he wrote, &#8220;is forbidden. Muslims must respond with &#8216;severe punishment.'&#8221;
This is not empty rhetoric. It’s a directive. The regime is using religious law to justify action against American political leadership. This fatwa is not an outlier — it is state-sanctioned pretext for terror.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 FATWA: Iran’s Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi — one of the most senior Shia clerics in Qom — has issued a ruling declaring that threats against Khamenei by President Trump and others amount to a “war against Islam.” Remaining silent is “haram,” he says, and Muslims must… <a href="https://t.co/2jbgPjpW0l">pic.twitter.com/2jbgPjpW0l</a>
&mdash; Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) <a href="https://twitter.com/mdubowitz/status/1939343304836911200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Islamic Republic has a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-princeton-scholar-was-once-a-high-ranking-iranian-official-why-is-he-still-here?author=Aidin+Panahi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=This+Princeton+Scholar+Was+Once+A+High-Ranking+Iranian+Official.+Why+Is+He+Still+Here%3F">documented history</a> of carrying out extraterritorial operations: assassinations in Europe, surveillance of U.S. targets, plots against dissidents, and support for militant proxies. Now, after President Trump ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and humiliated Khamenei in his press conference, the regime is escalating. It is signaling its operatives — at home and abroad — that retaliation is not just permissible. It is required.
This fatwa gives legal and religious cover for future attacks. It sets the stage for proxy operations, lone actor violence, and state-sponsored terror framed as divine justice. The regime has already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/from-fordow-to-freedom-a-strategy-for-ending-the-islamic-republic?author=Aidin+Panahi&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=From+Fordow+To+Freedom%3A+A+Strategy+For+Ending+The+Islamic+Republic">authorized</a> retaliation against American and Israeli targets. The network is active. The planning is done. All that remains is execution. The regime’s intentions are not hypothetical. In the months leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Iranian operatives were actively plotting to assassinate Donald Trump, according to Western intelligence sources.
<div id="attachment_941273" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-941273" class="size-large wp-image-941273" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1988734032-864x576.jpg" alt="Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi is delivering a sermon during a turban-wearing ceremony at a seminary in the holy city of Qom, 145 km (90 miles) south of Tehran, on February 8, 2024. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1988734032-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1988734032-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1988734032-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1988734032.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi is delivering a sermon. February 8, 2024. Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images.</div>
These networks are not limited to Iran or the Middle East. They are embedded inside the United States. The regime has exploited Palestinian solidarity movements, college encampments, and so-called cultural centers to build cover and infrastructure for future operations. What appears to be activism is, in many cases, ideological and logistical preparation. The Islamic Republic has skillfully used progressive activists, woke institutions, and even elements of the Democratic political class as unknowing tools — shielding itself behind civil rights rhetoric while laying the groundwork for subversion and violence. In <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/two-men-charged-alleged-plot-assassinate-saudi-arabian-ambassador-united-states">2011</a>, an Iranian-American working for the Quds Force was charged with plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C. That was over a decade ago. The capabilities have only expanded since.
This is not a theoretical risk. It’s an operational doctrine.
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The United States must respond accordingly.
First: Federal authorities must treat this fatwa as an actionable threat. DHS, FBI, Secret Service, and intelligence agencies must identify and dismantle regime-linked cells, proxies, and influence networks operating inside the United States under cultural, religious, or diplomatic cover.
Second: Islamic Republic’s top officials who issue or endorse calls for violence must be designated as enablers of terrorism and sanctioned accordingly. That includes financial, digital, and travel restrictions without exception.
Third: The regime must not outlast this escalation. The U.S. must adopt a policy of full support for regime change led by the Iranian people. That means providing technical, financial, and political support to Reza Pahlavi, who has accepted the responsibility of leading the transition after millions of Iranians — both inside the country and abroad—have chanted his name and called on him to represent their national will.
Fourth: The U.S. must support Israel’s precision operations targeting the regime’s nuclear, military, and intelligence assets — and where necessary, extend that support to neutralizing select political and religious officials who are operational leaders in the regime’s state-directed terror infrastructure. This must be framed and executed as counterterrorism.
Fifth: The U.S. must initiate immediate and comprehensive <a href="https://www.hstoday.us/featured/perspective-the-u-s-must-investigate-iranian-regime-networks-inside-the-homeland/">screening</a> of Iranian nationals already inside the country — including visa holders, green card recipients, and naturalized citizens — who maintain any connection to regime institutions, propaganda networks, or clerical systems. If the U.S. accepts that it is under asymmetric threat, it must respond accordingly. A national emergency declaration should be on the table.
<div id="attachment_941281" style="width: 824px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-941281" class="size-large wp-image-941281" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221794644-814x576.jpg" alt="28 June 2025, Hesse, Frankfurt/Main: Mainly exiles and German-Iranians protest against the Mullah regime in Iran at a rally at the Hauptwache in Frankfurt. One man holds a photo of Reza Pahlavi II, who is living in exile. Photo: Boris Roessler/dpa (Photo by Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images)" width="814" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221794644-814x576.jpg 814w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221794644-300x212.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221794644-768x544.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2221794644.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px" />28 June 2025, Hesse, Frankfurt/Main: German-Iranians protest against the Mullah regime in Iran at a rally at the Hauptwache in Frankfurt. One man holds a photo of Reza Pahlavi II, who is living in exile. Photo: Boris Roessler/picture alliance via Getty Images</div>
These actions are not optional. They are overdue. If left unchecked, this regime will act on its threats.
There is no negotiation pathway. There is no moderation. The Islamic Republic is not a government. It is a transnational threat actor. It issues religious rulings as operational orders. It does not fear diplomacy; it fears consequences.
The fatwa against President Trump is a signal. September 11th began with similar rhetoric. Now, another one has been issued — and this time, the target is named. If the U.S. ignores it, the next attack will not be a press release. It will be a body count.
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Dr. Aidin Panahi is an Iranian-American research professor, energy expert, and political activist. He is the cofounder of the “From Boston to Iran” initiative and his analyses on security and policy issues have appeared in outlets including The Jerusalem Post, Washington Times, the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune, Middle East Forum, Homeland Security Today, and Visegrád24. X: @Aidin_FreeIran
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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The Islamic Republic Issued A Fatwa On Trump. The U.S. Must Prepare Accordingly.

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