Former Attorney General Pam Bondi has finished her interview with House lawmakers about the release of the Jeffrey Epstein case files. Bondi stood behind the Trump administration's release of the Epstein files but refused to answer questions on President Donald Trump's involvement in it. Democratic lawmakers said Friday that Bondi told them she would not speak about the Republican president in the closed-door interview. Several survivors of Epstein's abuse gathered outside the Capitol office where lawmakers were interviewing Bondi. The survivors tried to make their presence known to Bondi as she entered the room but say they were shoved aside by police officers.
By DARLENE SUPERVILLE and JILL LAWLESS Associated Press
King Charles III has arrived in the United States on a four-day state visit aimed at celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary. The trip beginning Monday comes amid strained trans-Atlantic ties partly over disagreements between the U.K. government and President Donald Trump on issues including the Iran war. The Republican president has praised Charles but criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not supporting military action. The visit of Charles and Queen Camilla includes a White House state dinner and a speech to Congress. They also will visit the Sept. 11 memorial in New York and attend a 250th birthday party in Virginia.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has no plans to resign over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as U.K. ambassador to Washington, despite Mandelson failing security checks. Starmer says he was unaware that the Foreign Office overruled security officials' recommendations in early 2025. He called that "staggering" and "unforgivable." The top Foreign Office civil servant, Olly Robbins, took the fall for the decision and resigned late Thursday. Mandelson was considered risky due to his past friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Starmer fired Mandelson in September 2025 after evidence showed he lied about his links to Epstein. Opposition leaders demand Starmer's resignation. He said he will statement to Parliament on the issue on Monday.
By COLLIN BINKLEY and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
First lady Melania Trump has delivered a statement at White House denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes. In an extraordinary statement on Thursday, the first lady denied any association with Epstein and called the online accusations that she was involved in Epstein's crimes "baseless lies." The extraordinary and seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington. The first lady asserted that she was not friends with Epstein or his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, but that they were in overlapping social circles.
Democratic lawmakers say former President Bill Clinton has tried to answer every question during a deposition over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. The Democrats said during a break after two hours of questioning Clinton had not invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Clinton tells members of Congress he "did nothing wrong" and saw no signs of Epstein's sexual abuse. Clinton says by the time the abuse came to light with a 2008 guilty plea, he had long stopped associating with Epstein. Friday's closed-door deposition in Chappaqua, New York, marks the first time a former president has been compelled to testify to Congress. Republicans relish the opportunity to scrutinize Clinton under oath.
Police have searched the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a day after the former prince was held in custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office. In another blow for the former Prince Andrew, the British government is considering formally removing him from the line of succession to the crown. His arrest is linked to his friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and marked one of the most tumultuous days in the modern history of Britain's royal family. The former Prince Andrew is back at his new home on the Sandringham estate, King Charles III's private retreat. Police have concluded their search there but are still searching Royal Lodge, his 30-room former home near Windsor Castle.
House lawmakers have tried to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, but the former girlfriend and confidant of Jeffrey Epstein invoked her Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions that would be incriminating. An attorney for Maxwell also told lawmakers that if President Donald Trump ended her prison sentence, she would be willing to testify that neither Trump nor former President Bill Clinton were culpable for wrongdoing in their relationships with Epstein. The House Oversight Committee had wanted Maxwell to answer questions during a video call to the federal prison camp in Texas where she's serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee is requesting records related to firms partially owned by the husband of Rep. Ilhan Omar. It's an extraordinary step of scrutinizing the spouse of a sitting House member. Rep. James Comer of Kentucky sent a letter to Timothy Mynett, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Omar. Comer is requesting records related to a pair of companies that had a substantial jump in value between 2023 and 2024. Comer's request marked a highly unusual move by the chair of a committee with a history of taking on politically-charged investigations, but almost always focused on government officials outside of Congress.
