Bulwark Takes: Democrats Investigate DOJ Over Epstein Files Involving Trump

Host: Tim Miller
Guest: Roger Sollenberger
Date: February 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the resurfacing controversy regarding allegations against Donald Trump connected to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, focusing on DOJ documents, FBI interviews, and the recent push by House Oversight Democrats to investigate alleged DOJ withholding of key evidence. Investigative reporter Roger Sollenberger, who’s been extensively reporting on the story, breaks down the multi-layered developments, the underlying public records, and the implications for transparency and justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How the Allegation Surfaced

• Sollenberger recounts how he discovered a claim in a DOJ slideshow: an underage accuser included rape allegations against Trump in her civil suit against Epstein.

• DOJ’s slideshow (collaborative effort with FBI Violent Crimes & Child Sex Trafficking Task Forces) specifically mentioned Trump twice—and included graphic allegations by a woman regarding incidents when she was 13-14 (1983-1985).

  "On that slideshow, there's a slide that says prominent names, and there are two bullet points for Trump... the very first one is citing a woman directly telling the FBI... has this, this claim of assault when, when she was a child, when she was between 13 and 14 years old."
  — Roger Sollenberger (03:10)

2. What’s Credible and What’s Not

• While there are numerous claims against Trump, Sollenberger clarifies that most were dismissed by the FBI as non-credible—except the first, which was pursued in interviews.

• Sollenberger’s reporting was unique in establishing that the FBI directly interviewed this accuser—something that was not previously public knowledge.

  "The FBI took this person seriously. This is. Regardless of whether the claim is true... It's not helpful either way to speculate."
  — Roger Sollenberger (07:06-07:23)

3. Details of the FBI Interviews

• The accuser didn’t know who Epstein was until 2019, when a friend (who later tipped off the FBI) sent her a photo of Trump with Epstein.

• The woman gave a detailed interview (nine pages long) to the FBI, primarily discussing Epstein, but when Trump’s name arose (through a photo, where someone was cropped out), her lawyer cited “fear of retaliation” from powerful individuals.

  "She wants to crop the photo. And she wants to crop somebody out of the photo... The lawyer says that she wants to do this because the client does not want to implicate anybody who's powerful out of fear of retaliation."
  — Roger Sollenberger (09:16)

• The FBI considered opening a criminal investigation related to Trump based on her account, but she ultimately refused to further cooperate.

4. Civil Lawsuit & Settlement

• The same accuser joined a lawsuit against the Epstein estate (as Jane Doe No. 4, represented by Lisa Bloom), supporting her claims in a sworn filing.

• She ultimately received a financial settlement, though not through the official Epstein victims fund.

  "...she includes the allegation about Trump. That's the same thing is clearly about Trump. It does not name him... she ultimately settled, reportedly received a financial payment." — Roger Sollenberger (11:55)

5. The Question of a DOJ (and FBI) ‘Cover-Up’

• The DOJ had pulled, then restored, a document showing which materials were given to Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense for her trial, including four FBI interviews with this accuser (only one is public).

• House Oversight Democrats, after reviewing evidence logs, now allege the DOJ may have illegally withheld full FBI interviews from public release as required by law.

  "Oversight Democrats can confirm the DOJ appears to have illegally withheld FBI interviews with this survivor, the one we've been speaking about who accused President Trump of heinous crimes. Oversight Dems will open a parallel investigation into this." — Tim Miller (14:19-14:43)

• There exists at least 53 pages of interview material; only 9 pages are publicly available.

6. Congressional and DOJ Response

• House Democrats are opening a parallel Congressional probe into DOJ’s handling of these materials.

• DOJ claims all responsive documents were produced with three exceptions: duplicates, privileged documents, and those tied to an ongoing investigation.

  "...the DOJ put out a response... [stating] all responsive documents have been produced. So three exceptions. One is a duplicate document. Right. Two is documents protected by privilege, and three is documents that are related to an ongoing federal investigation." — Roger Sollenberger (18:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the significance of the FBI’s seriousness:

  "The FBI took it seriously enough that they at least considered opening a criminal investigation into Trump based on this woman's account."
  — Roger Sollenberger (10:34)

• On document transparency and the Epstein Files Transparency Act:

  "They have them and they can produce them. So, yeah, there are duplicates, but they also should fall under the EFTA, Right. The Epstein Files Transparency Act."
  — Roger Sollenberger (19:07)

• On congressional mandates being ignored:

  "It's against the law and they're required by law. It was basically a unanimous vote of the Congress to release that information."
  — Tim Miller (17:27)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:14 | Introduction of Sollenberger; context for story | | 02:21 | Details on DOJ slideshow, prominent names, Trump allegation | | 05:05 | How tip came into FBI, DOJ response to allegations | | 06:54 | FBI interviews accuser; importance of 302 form | | 09:16 | Photo of Epstein & Trump; fear of retaliation | | 10:34 | FBI considered opening criminal investigation | | 11:55 | Civil suit, settlement, and the accuser’s participation | | 14:19 | House Oversight Dems statement on withheld evidence; investigation launched | | 14:43 | Multiple FBI interviews supplied to Ghislaine Maxwell; most not public | | 17:27 | Legal requirements to release information | | 18:05 | DOJ response on withheld/privileged/ongoing investigation documents |

Additional Context and Side Notes

• Accuser’s Brother: The accuser’s brother was arrested in connection with the January 6th Riot (13:54), a detail included as part of broader context.
• Ongoing Transparency Battle: The episode underscores the challenge in achieving full transparency regarding high-profile abuse investigations—especially when they touch on politically sensitive figures.
• Parenting Interruptions: Sollenberger juggles parenting while appearing on the podcast, adding a human touch to the episode.

Conclusion

This episode pulls back the curtain on the complex, slow-unfolding process of how the Trump-Epstein file is dealt with by federal authorities, how Congressional oversight is stepping in, and what persistent investigative journalism is surfacing. Listeners come away with a nuanced understanding of what has—and hasn’t—been made public, and the stakes for accountability at the highest levels.

For further reading:

• Roger Sollenberger’s Substack (linked in show notes per the episode)