In the name of confronting “uncomfortable truths,” embattled Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Tuesday that her deputy Todd Blanche would meet with Ghislaine Maxwell. The politics of closing the case are untenable for Donald Trump, so his administration will now turn over new stones — though the president’s reluctance to keep the investigation alive suggests Bondi and Blanche are unlikely to reveal Jeffrey Epstein’s secrets.

Capitalizing on Trump’s obfuscation, Nancy Pelosi also declared this week that she was co-sponsoring the bipartisan Epstein Transparency Act, calling it “a vital step toward truth and accountability in the face of unspeakable abuse.” House Republican leadership packed up for August recess a day early to avoid voting on that bill. This, despite several House GOP members telling UnHerd last week that they expect to keep hearing from their constituents about the case.

Because the Epstein story is so sprawling — across decades, continents, and industries — officials interested in constructing the appearance of an ongoing investigation have ample material to create the appearance of progress to the MAGA base. Bondi and Trump may disclose new information in drips and drabs over the course of his second term, faced with internecine strife from Bondi’s 6 July memo, but these disclosures should not be expected to paint the full picture.

Bondi’s decision to tease more information in February, release nothing, then announce that the case was essentially closed earlier this month is a clear sign that Trump does not want full disclosure. The President has, of course, vigorously defended Bondi from her critics as well.

All this means that further steps from the administration to “pursue justice wherever the facts may lead,” as Bondi put it in her announcement about Blanche, should be seen as political steps rather than substantive ones, though there may occasionally be some overlap. Trump himself wrote on 12 July that his supporters should “not waste Time and Energy on Jeffrey Epstein.” Bondi and Blanche only then decided to pursue the case further after a deluge of criticism.

Blanche even used the moment to revive a case the president had already dismissed as a “waste” of time — seizing on it for maximum political gain. “Until now, no administration on behalf of the Department had inquired about her willingness to meet with the government,” said the deputy attorney general. “That changes now.”

This is why Republican leadership’s decision to avoid an Epstein vote ahead of the August recess is somewhat baffling. Voters worried about inflation, taxes and debt also care about the administration’s sudden about-face on high-profile allegations of a major sex trafficking blackmail ring. Doing nothing is clearly worse than doing something — and, sadly, in this case it’s all too easy for officials to keep looking serious about the investigation while pursuing toothless leads.

Worse yet, Maxwell’s expected cooperation could involve a potential pardon that muddies the waters even more. Journalist Matt Lewis posted on X, “Ghislaine Maxwell’s only logical play is to exonerate Trump — and pray for a pardon, right?”

In all likelihood, the future of the Epstein investigation will look a lot like its past. We’ll get scraps of information here and there when it’s politically convenient for Trump — and spend the next 20 years trying to piece together a puzzle with missing parts.

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Emily Jashinsky is UnHerd‘s Washington correspondent.

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