President Trump demanded the release of additional Jeffrey Epstein investigation documents after a Wall Street Journal article revealed a letter bearing his name in a 2003 birthday album for the convicted sex offender. In a Thursday night social-media post, Trump announced he had instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek court approval to unseal relevant grand jury testimony.
Bondi confirmed on X that she would request the court to release the transcripts on Friday.
The push to disclose Epstein-related documents was a key issue for Trump’s allies during the Biden administration and the 2024 campaign.
Far-right media have long claimed a government cover-up in Epstein’s case; he died by suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The push to disclose Epstein-related documents was a key issue for Trump’s allies during the Biden administration and the 2024 campaign.
Trump, who once socialized with Epstein, pledged during the campaign to share more investigation details. The Justice Department’s recent memo, stating that no client list or additional disclosable documents were found after a thorough review, angered many Trump supporters.
Some of Trump’s prominent backers called for Bondi’s resignation amid the controversy, but Trump has supported her. On Wednesday, the Justice Department fired federal prosecutor Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, who worked on the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell prosecutions. In early 2024, Comey had opposed a Freedom of Information Act request to release Epstein-related records, including witness statements, citing potential interference with Maxwell’s retrial. A judge rejected her request.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump vowed to sue the Rupert Murdoch, NewsCorp and the Wall Street Journal on Thursday night, not an hour after the paper published a story.
Calling the letter “FAKE,” Trump blasted the WSJ, its parent company News Corp. and owner Rupert Murdoch, in a Thursday night Truth Social post, threatening legal action and accusing them of running a “false, malicious, and defamatory” article.
“I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.