Though President Donald Trump ordered the Justice Division to request the discharge of extra particulars within the probe of convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein, he claimed Saturday that the transfer could do little to quell the outspoken criticism of his administration’s dealing with of the case.
The president reiterated on social media that he requested the DOJ “to launch all Grand Jury testimony with respect to Jeffrey Epstein, topic solely to Courtroom Approval.” Trump, nevertheless, lashed out in opposition to the loud voices who’ve referred to as for transparency for the reason that Justice Division and FBI issued their July 6 memo concerning their choice to not launch any additional recordsdata from federal investigations into the late financier.
President Donald Trump departs after signing the GENIUS Act, a invoice that regulates stablecoins, a kind of cryptocurrency, within the East Room of the White Home, July 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Brandon/AP
“Even when the Courtroom gave its full and unwavering approval, nothing will likely be ok for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request. It is going to all the time be extra, extra, extra,” Trump mentioned in his put up.
Trump has downplayed the considerations from a number of individuals, together with distinguished Republicans and conservative pundits, that the federal government hasn’t finished sufficient to get to the reality behind the intercourse trafficking fees issued in opposition to the financier six years in the past. The Justice Division and FBI confirmed Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail on Aug. 10, 2019.
Trump as soon as had a pleasant relationship with Epstein, socializing in New York and Palm Seaside. When Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump mentioned they’d had a falling out and hadn’t spoken in 15 years
The president has by no means been accused of wrongdoing in reference to the Epstein case regardless of his name appearing several times on Epstein’s non-public jet flight logs.
The DOJ mentioned in its Friday filing that its request for grand jury testimony follows “in depth public curiosity.”
The submitting mentioned the DOJ plans to work with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York “to make acceptable redactions of victim-related data and different private figuring out data previous to releasing the transcripts.”
“Transparency on this course of won’t be on the expense of our obligation beneath the legislation to guard victims,” the submitting added.
The submitting, which was solely signed by Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi and Deputy Legal professional Basic Todd Blanche, requested the court docket “conclude that the Epstein and [Ghislaine] Maxwell circumstances qualify as a matter of public curiosity, launch the related grand jury transcripts, and raise any preexisting protecting orders.”
Maxwell, an affiliate of Epstein, was convicted of intercourse trafficking and different fees and sentenced to twenty years in jail in 2022.
Commuters stroll previous a bus cease close to 9 Elms Station as activists put up a poster exhibiting President Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein close to the US Embassy in London, July 17, 2025.
Thomas Krych/AP
A former federal prosecutor informed ABC Information that the Justice Division’s request may not give any new particulars.
The transcript possible mentions a small fraction of the general testimony and proof gathered by the DOJ in opposition to the disgraced financier, former assistant United States lawyer Sarah Krissoff informed ABC Information.
Whereas the president’s pledge to unseal the transcripts has been heralded by his supporters as proof of his dedication to transparency, Krissoff cautioned that grand jury testimony typically doesn’t shed a lot mild in comparison with the case file or proof introduced at trial.
“The grand jury testimony goes to be very restricted in comparison with your entire case file,” she mentioned. “It is simply going to be an actual, high-level overview – a spotlight reel – of what the prosecutors suppose is vital within the case file, which could possibly be tons of of hundreds, if not tens of millions of paperwork.”
Krissoff spent greater than a decade as a prosecutor with the USA Legal professional’s Workplace for the Southern District of New York, which introduced legal circumstances in opposition to each Epstein and Maxwell. Krissoff, now a accomplice at Cozen O’Connor, didn’t straight work on both case.
She mentioned that SDNY prosecutors typically don’t current firsthand witnesses to the grand jury, as an alternative opting to make use of federal brokers who can summarize proof and the testimony of others.
“The usual observe, significantly within the SDNY, is to maintain the grand jury presentation as slim as potential,” Krissoff mentioned. “The aim of the prosecutor is basically to place in as little proof as they want with a view to get that indictment.”
President Donald Trump arrives for an occasion to signal the GENIUS Act, a invoice that regulates stablecoins, a kind of cryptocurrency, within the East Room of the White Home, July 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Alex Brandon/AP
Contemplating the proof made public by means of civil lawsuits and the legal trial of Maxwell, Krissoff argued that the transcripts are unlikely to vary the general public understanding of the case.
“I perceive that the president needs to appease some of us by disclosing the grand jury testimony, however I simply do not see that as actually shedding a light-weight on a lot right here,” she mentioned.
