Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) said Wednesday that he believes the Biden administration destroyed a once-existing client list linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier accused of running a sex trafficking network involving underage girls. Burchett made the comments during an interview on NewsNation’s “On Balance” with host Leland Vittert, directly contradicting a recent Justice Department memo that denied the existence of such a list.
“I think the files existed at one time,” Burchett said. “I think they were destroyed in the previous administration.”
The DOJ memo, released earlier this week, concluded that Epstein kept no blackmail-style client list, refuting long-standing speculation that he had leveraged high-profile connections for protection. The same report reaffirmed that Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019.
Burchett rejected suggestions that President Trump was ever named in such records, arguing that if any evidence against Trump existed, it would have already been made public by the Biden administration. “If they’d ever had anything on Trump, it would have been out Day 1,” Burchett stated.
He further speculated that individuals named on the alleged list could include “very prominent people,” including Hollywood elites and world leaders. “Would it have caused economic disruption around the globe? Maybe. But I don’t really care. I want to bury those dirtbags,” Burchett added.
The interview aired during ongoing right-wing skepticism about the DOJ’s findings. Figures such as Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, and Dan Bongino have faced criticism from conservative media for previously suggesting the existence of explosive Epstein-related files. Burchett suggested Bondi may have overpromised, saying, “I think she got over her skis.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the DOJ’s findings, calling the review “exhaustive” and noting that some material was withheld by the Trump administration due to its graphic nature.
