Ousted Attorney General Pam Bondi was unfairly criticized over the handling of materials related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, as the controversy is "way, way, way overstated," Harvard Law School professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report."
"I think she got a bum rap on the Epstein matter," Dershowitz said. "Look, when all the files in Epstein finally come out, there's going to be a yawn of disappointment."
Dershowitz said the public expectations surrounding the case will not match the eventual disclosures.
"We're going to find out there was no pedophilia. We're going to find out there was no trafficking," he said.
"There were four categories of people: victims, real victims, not that many young people," he added. "Then people who came back over and over again for their $150, $250, then people who helped recruit other young people, and then people who never heard of Epstein, just came in and collected the $50,000 and went away."
He added that many of the claims tied to prominent individuals have already been disproven.
"There is a list of people who have been falsely accused. The FBI has that list. The list includes many prominent people who have disproved the allegations against them," he said.
Dershowitz said all remaining records should be made public, with limited exceptions.
"Let's disclose everything, every single word of everything," he said. "With one exception: kids under the age of 18 who are not able to consent. Their names should be withheld, but no adult name should be told, no accuser's name should be withheld, and no accused name should be withheld."
He also said claims involving President Donald Trump have not been substantiated.
"There's nothing there, nothing there about Donald Trump, nothing there about [former President Bill] Clinton, nothing there about prominent people," Dershowitz said.
Turning to the search for a potential replacement, Dershowitz said several names are under consideration, including U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
"She's terrific, and she's a very tough prosecutor," Dershowitz said of Pirro. "A lot of experience."
He said Blanche is also qualified.
"He is fit for the role because he's very professional. He's a really good lawyer. And he represented Donald Trump. So he passes the loyalty test," Dershowitz said.
On Zeldin, Dershowitz said he could bring credibility despite less prosecutorial experience.
Dershowitz emphasized that the attorney general position itself presents inherent challenges.
"It's an impossible job," he said. "It's a schizophrenic job. On the one hand, you're supposed to be the adviser to the president, and do whatever the president wants. You're a cabinet member. On the other hand, you're the chief law enforcement officer."
He said future prosecutors may be more selective in pursuing cases.
"The first rule of a prosecutor is don't go after somebody who you're not going to win," Dershowitz said, noting prosecutors typically maintain high success rates by focusing on provable cases.
Dershowitz added that confirmation politics and the upcoming midterms will also factor into Trump's decision, as candidates must be able to secure Senate approval.
"He has a good list," he said, adding that some potential picks could face tougher confirmation battles than others.
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