DOJ Asks Court to Unseal Epstein Grand Jury Transcripts (2)

The Trump administration asked a federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts related to the case of late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein following claims that government officials were hiding documents and information related to his sex-trafficking case.

Justice Department lawyers made the requests Friday to two judges in Manhattan, where prosecutors handled separate criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

“Transparency to the American public is of the utmost importance to this administration,” the Justice Department said in the filing, adding that “given the public interest” in the investigations into Epstein, the transcripts should be released.

It’s unclear if courts would grant the administration’s request or whether the request will satisfy critics, including some of President Donald Trump’s own allies, who have demanded more information on the case. Grand jury deliberations are typically kept secret. The judges also could take time to make a decision.

Read More: Trump Team’s Handling of Epstein Case Deepens Republican Divide

Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi have come under sharp criticism from fellow Republicans who have been demanding more information about the Epstein case, including details about a purported “client list.”

Earlier this month, the Justice Department released a two-page memo saying there was no additional information to release. While the department said Friday it stood by those conclusions, it added that “public officials, pundits and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested in concerned about the Epstein matter.”

Bondi earlier this year in a Fox News interview said an Epstein client list was sitting on her desk for review. She later clarified that comment, saying she was referring to the Epstein files in general. The back-and-forth has fueled a firestorm that has engulfed Trump and several of his top aides.

On Thursday, Trump authorized the Justice Department to seek the release of grand jury testimony from the Epstein prosecution after the Wall Street Journal published a story alleging that he once sent a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein. The president said the letter was “FAKE” in a social media post and threatened to sue.

Trump Lawsuit

On Friday, Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones & Co., News Corp. and Rupert Murdoch for libel in federal court in Florida. In the complaint, Trump’s lawyers claimed Journal reporters “concocted this story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively portray him in a false light.”

“We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” a Dow Jones spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

The department said other judges have released grand jury transcripts after finding that Epstein’s case is a matter of public concern, including a Florida state court that ordered the release of 2006 grand jury transcripts pertaining to Florida’s probe of Epstein’s sexual abuse.

While the Justice Department said the privacy interests at stake in the case are “substantially diminished” due to Epstein’s death, it said it will work with prosecutors to ensure any information identifying victims is redacted. The department also is seeking the release of the transcripts in the case against Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of participating in Epstein’s sex crimes, because of “intense public scrutiny,” even though she has appealed her conviction to the US Supreme Court.

Sex Crimes

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to Florida charges, including procurement of minors to engage in prostitution. He died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls. Both a medical examiner and an investigation by the FBI determined that Epstein died by suicide.

The memo released earlier this month by the Justice Department and FBI concurred that Epstein died by suicide in federal custody and said investigators uncovered no evidence of a “client list” or blackmail operation involving prominent individuals. The document said surveillance footage confirmed Epstein was locked in his cell and that no unauthorized access occurred to the housing unit at the time of his death.

Some of Trump’s allies have been demanding the administration release more records related to the Epstein sex trafficking investigation after the Republican vowed to do so during the 2024 presidential campaign.

The president has lashed out in response, accusing them of falling for what he now calls a “hoax” surrounding Epstein that was engineered by Democrats.

“This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” Trump posted Thursday.

Read More: FBI Pulling All Nighters Reviewing Epstein Files: FOIA Files

(Updates with comments from Dow Jones spokesperson in tenth paragraph)

--With assistance from Anika Arora Seth.

To contact the reporters on this story:
Chris Strohm in Washington at cstrohm1@bloomberg.net;
Chris Dolmetsch in Federal Court in Manhattan at cdolmetsch@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net

Anthony Aarons, Steve Stroth

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