Trump orders Bondi to hunt launch of Jeffrey Epstein-related grand jury testimony
Washington — President Trump late Thursday ordered Legal professional Common Pam Bondi to hunt the discharge of grand jury testimony associated to Jeffrey Epstein as his administration faces strain to reveal extra particulars on the late intercourse offender.
“Primarily based on the ridiculous quantity of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I’ve requested Legal professional Common Pam Bondi to supply any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, topic to Court docket approval,” Mr. Trump wrote in a publish on Reality Social. “This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, ought to finish, proper now!”
Bondi wrote in a publish on X minutes later, “we’re prepared to maneuver the court docket tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.”
A choose might want to make the ultimate determination on whether or not materials might be launched, which may take a while and is unlikely to be fast.
It is unclear what materials the Trump administration will ask to be launched. It isn’t clear how a lot of the Epstein-related materials within the authorities’s possession is grand jury testimony.
Epstein was investigated by federal authorities in Florida within the 2000s, which led to a non-prosecution settlement and a responsible plea on state prostitution costs, and he was later charged with youngster intercourse trafficking in Manhattan in 2019. The federal government additionally secured a conviction towards Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. It investigated the circumstances of Epstein’s dying in federal custody, which was deemed a suicide.
The order from Mr. Trump comes after the Justice Division and FBI launched a memo stating that Epstein didn’t have an incriminating “consumer record,” didn’t attempt to blackmail any distinguished figures, and died by suicide. The memo drew backlash from throughout the political spectrum, together with from some fervent Trump backers, partially as a result of Bondi and different administration figures had promised to launch data on Epstein.
The federal government is usually required to maintain grand jury supplies secret, and it is common for not all materials that’s proven to a grand jury — which meets earlier than an individual is criminally indicted — to emerge throughout a prison case.
A request of this sort by the federal government is uncommon, says Mitchell Epner, a companion on the New York legislation agency Kudman Trachten Aloe Posner, and a former federal prosecutor.
“I have been in and round federal prison instances for over 30 years. I’ve by no means heard of this earlier than,” he advised CBS Information.
Whereas the scope of the federal government’s request continues to be unknown, Epner says it may embody an “huge amount of knowledge.” Mr. Trump stated the federal government would search the discharge of grand jury testimony, which Epner famous could embrace reveals that witnesses testified about earlier than a grand jury.
“I might not guess towards there being something, from essentially the most fascinating factor on the earth to the least fascinating factor on the earth, in that materials,” stated Epner, who advised CBS Information he believes requires extra data to be disclosed within the Epstein case are warranted.
Epner joked: “If we have been to search out out the placement of the corpse of Jimmy Hoffa, I might not be shocked.”
Materials seemingly won’t be launched instantly, in response to Epner, who stated, “weeks can be shifting in a short time, months is probably going.” Underneath court docket guidelines, grand jury materials is often solely launched beneath sure circumstances, usually when it is wanted for another investigation. The federal government’s grounds for launch on this case aren’t clear.
On this case, each associates and alleged victims of Epstein’s could oppose some disclosures.
“I might not be shocked if a variety of folks got here ahead beneath pseudonyms to object to the discharge of grand jury materials associated to them,” Epner stated. “I additionally wouldn’t be shocked if a number of the victims…got here ahead and stated, ‘Sure, we do need issues to be revealed.'”
Trump administration faces Epstein fallout
Final week’s memo on Epstein reignited years of questions — and conspiracy theories — on the disgraced financier, together with hypothesis concerning the circumstances of Epstein’s dying in custody, and about whether or not the federal authorities was concealing data to protect a few of Epstein’s well-known mates.
Bondi had pledged to launch recordsdata associated to Epstein, and steered in a Fox Information interview in February a “consumer record” was “sitting on my desk proper now to evaluate.” (She later stated she meant usually that materials on Epstein was sitting on her desk.)
In late February, the Justice Division distributed binders to over a dozen right-wing social media influencers labeled “The Epstein Recordsdata: Part 1,” although the influencers later stated most of the supplies have been already within the public area.
Some Republicans and vocal Trump supporters have been dissatisfied with final week’s memo, in some instances calling for extra disclosures or the appointment of a particular prosecutor to look into the Epstein case — which White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the president doesn’t help.
Mr. Trump, for his half, has scolded some Republicans for getting into what he known as the “the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax,” calling them “silly folks” and “weaklings” who’re “do[ing] the Democrats work.”
Shortly earlier than pushing for the discharge of grand jury testimony, the president on Thursday denied a Wall Road Journal report on what the newspaper described as a “bawdy” birthday letter to Epstein — that includes a drawing of a nude girl — that the paper claimed was signed by Mr. Trump within the early 2000s. Mr. Trump and Epstein had crossed paths for years, although Mr. Trump says they’d a “falling out.”
Mr. Trump known as the letter a “FAKE” and threatened to sue the Journal, in addition to its mum or dad firm Information Corp and chief Rupert Murdoch.
“These should not my phrases, not the best way I speak. Additionally, I do not draw photos,” he stated.
CBS Information has not independently verified or seen the letter. Dow Jones — the Information Corp division that features the Journal — declined to touch upon Mr. Trump’s threats.
