DL Open Thread: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi informed President Trump in the spring that his name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to three people with knowledge of the exchange.
The disclosure came as part of a broader briefing on the re-examination of the case against Mr. Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, by F.B.I. agents and prosecutors. It was made by Ms. Bondi during a meeting that also included the deputy attorney general, Todd Blanche, and covered a variety of topics. Ms. Bondi frequently meets with Mr. Trump to brief him on various matters, officials said.
Ms. Bondi and Mr. Blanche, both of whom previously served as lawyers for Mr. Trump, informed the president that his name, as well as those of other high-profile figures, had come up in their re-examination of documents connected to the case that had not previously been made public.
“As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,” Ms. Bondi and Mr. Blanche wrote in a statement in response to questions about the briefing, which took place in May. “Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution.”
Oh. The lies don’t stop there:
Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, would not address questions about the briefing, but called any suggestion that Mr. Trump was engaged in wrongdoing related to Mr. Epstein “fake news” and said Mr. Trump had ejected Mr. Epstein from his club, Mar-a-Lago, for “being a creep.”
Not a pedophile creep, though. Here’s why Trump and Epstein had their falling-out:
Trump said he planned to create “the second greatest house in America, Mar-a-Lago being the first” and then resell it.
Epstein was also enraptured by the property, which Gosman had purchased in 1988 for about $12 million from Leslie Wexner, the Ohio-based retail executive who was a friend and patron of Epstein’s. In contrast to Trump, Epstein seemed interested in living at the place. Harley Riedel, an attorney for Gosman, said the previous owner had filled the mansion with pricey art and “really did have in his heart that it would be nice if someone moved in and lived there.”
At first, Epstein pressed to gain the upper hand in the competition for the estate, according to Luzinski, the bankruptcy trustee. Epstein agreed on a price and terms that were viewed as favorable for Gosman’s creditors if a higher bid didn’t emerge, he said.
As the competition heated up, Trump and Epstein began talking each other down to the trustee, Luzinski said.
On Nov. 15, 2004, the bidders, their representatives, and a small cavalry of lawyers representing the creditors and the Gosman family gathered in a courtroom at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in West Palm Beach. Trump was connected by phone.
The bidding proceeded:
Trump “had made up his mind to get it no matter the price,” said Charles Tatelbaum, a lawyer for one of Gosman’s creditors, JPMorgan Chase Bank.
A third bidder jumped in late, prompting Trump to pipe up again. “This is Mr. Trump,” he said over the speakerphone. “It seemed to be very clear that they dropped out also.”
The judge allowed the other bidder, Mark Pulte, to proceed, but Trump outbid him, too, with an offer of $41.35 million.
“I will therefore determine by the bang of the gavel that Mr. Trump is the higher bidder,” Friedman said.
In an interview, Luzinski described the showdown as “two very large Palm Beach egos going at it.”
Four years after he bought the Gosman mansion, Trump sold it to Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev for $95 million, more than doubling his investment.
Fact is, preying on teenage girls is what Trump and Epstein had in common. Cut. Print.
Councilman Dave Carter Seeks To Establish Standards For Data Centers. From the Press Release:
New Castle County, DE – Councilman David Carter (District 6), working with the New Castle County Department of Land Use, announced today that legislation will be introduced on August 26, 2025 to establish clear and enforceable standards for the siting and operation of data centers in New Castle County.
The proposed ordinance will reflect the growing need to responsibly manage the infrastructure demands and environmental impacts associated with large-scale technology facilities.“We are taking action to make sure we have the right tools in place to evaluate and regulate these massive projects,” said Councilman Carter.
“This legislation will ensure we conduct our due diligence and guide a thoughtful public discussion through the County’s established land use process—not through politics, speculation, or shortcuts.
”The proposed ordinance will establish clear criteria for evaluating data centers development plans and related rezonings. These include energy and water usage considerations, noise and air emissions controls, standards for backup power and on-site generation, and requirements related to site design, location, and land use compatibility. Additionally, the code will mandate ongoing monitoring and enforceable compliance measures to ensure that facilities operate responsibly over the long term.
Fascists On Hallucinogens. Tulsi Gabbard:
National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard is working her ass off to deflect the growing scrutiny over the Epstein files. After accusing President Barack Obama of a “treasonous conspiracy” to undermine President Donald Trump during the 2016 election, she’s now refusing to provide any real evidence.
When asked to back up her accusation during a press conference Wednesday, Gabbard told reporters that they needed to figure out for themselves how to connect the dots—which two bipartisan National Intelligence committees were unable to connect.
“I’m not asking you to take my word for it. I’m asking you in the media to conduct honest journalism and the American people to see for yourself in the documents that we’ve released now,” she said.
Standing behind a White House podium, Gabbard started quoting old Russian intelligence and claimed that Moscow’s foreign intelligence agency SVR was in possession of “high-level DNC emails that detailed evidence of Hillary’s ‘psycho-emotional problems, uncontrolled fits of anger, aggression, and cheerfulness.’ And that then-Secretary Clinton was allegedly on a daily regimen of heavy tranquilizers.”
That strange little detail came from the freshly declassified 2020 report by the House Intelligence Committee that Gabbard insists holds evidence that former President Barack Obama committed a so-called “coup” against Donald Trump by alleging Russian interference in the 2016 election.
These are distractions, keep your eyes on the prize.
Columbia Surrenders To Fascism. $200 mill? AYFKM?:
Columbia University announced on Wednesday that it has reached a deal with the Trump administration following months of negotiation to restore federal funding to the school, in a move described by the administration as a “seismic shift” in its fight with elite higher education
Under the terms of the deal to resolve several federal probes into allegations that it had violated anti-discrimination laws, Columbia did not admit to wrongdoing but agreed to pay the government a $200 million settlement over three years and an additional $21 million to settle US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations.
Sickening.
Dissension in Delaware Rethug Ranks? It’s not that Murray resigned, it’s how she framed her resignation:
Julianne Murray stepped down as Delaware’s Republican Party chair July 22, about a week after being sworn in as the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware.
“My understanding is the team I helped build is working tirelessly to execute the plan we put in place. They deserve the space to lead without interference, without drama, and without sideshows,” Ms. Murray continued.
“I simply will not allow my name or my position to continue to be used as a political football that slows down their progress. That’s not leadership — and it’s not who I am.”
Ms. Murray went on to emphasize that “this resignation is not about appeasing anyone. It’s about doing what is right.”
If you say so. Paging Dave Lawson…
What do you want to talk about?
RIP: The Hulkster. More like the Huckster, TBH.
A roided-up guy telling kids to ‘say your prayers, take your vitamins.’
I’m sorry, there was nothing redeeming about this guy:
https://people.com/hulk-hogan-pro-wrestling-legend-tv-personality-dead-at-71-11738891
In. true rasslin’ fashion, ‘…he was taken out on a stretcher.’
i grew up watching the hulkster and by watching i mean the sex video of him banging his friends wife
That’s cruel.
He inspired kids all over the world–to take steroids.
“Fact is, preying on teenage girls is what Trump and Epstein had in common. Cut. Print.”
I think they had something else in common: Russian money. Ron Wyden is doing what no so-called journalists have bothered with: following the money.
https://newrepublic.com/article/198247/trump-epstein-fiasco-ron-wyden
Trump isn’t scared that he’s in those files because he banged underage girls. Everyone already assumes that. I think there’s a strong chance that what he’s scared of is evidence of some kind of connection to Russia that makes it impossible for him to deny his ties to Russia.
That’s some serious shit, right there.
And not a single Senate Rethug would sign off on Wyden’s request for a subpoena for Epstein’s Russian bank transactions, which required bipartisan support.
We’re getting a lot to think about. Thank you. I’m thankful for that real-estate sory in Florida. It is fantastic piece of journalism. Other stories are vary informative too. Especially the one about the county councilmanwanting safeguards on the Data center operators. Nicely done DE Liberal.
Looks more and more like tonight’s hearing over the Data Centers might be little more than a presentation by the proponents for the center.
Will questions be limited or tamped down by the moderators?
If you’re going, PLEASE provide updates. If you wish to provide information, but wish to remain anonymous, that’s what our tipline is for. We will protect your anonymity.
About 15 minutes minutes before the meeting starts. About 60 ish people and filling up A few IBEW members, seniors, good mix of people. Suzanne Souder from New Castle is here along with Nicole Poore so far (who had a prime parking spot in her Cadillac) Although I was here early so not sure what elected offices have gathered in the hallway.
6ABC is here.
I’m not the best with who’s who as far as officials, I’m assuming they’ll all get their acknowledgement when the meeting starts so I’ll update more then but Caneco is here shaking hands.
Room filling up. 100+ people.
Sarah McBride has a flier but no cite about her work with Chemours Company and Immersion Cooling and how this site could be retrofitted fitted with it. Yeah I don’t know either
Mimi Brown arrives. Iced Coffee in hand
Could someone do some back of the envelope math to do or check my own. Would this data center be the largest in the country?!
That reminds me. If you check out Poore’s campaign finance statements, it’s close to impossible to find an auto dealership that DIDN’T max out to her.
One strange moment last night (watched online) was in her seemingly describing her own family’s dependency on her trade union husband’s salary. Did I hear it right? We know how much she is pulling in. It ain’t peanuts.