Alexandar Sullivan:
In a highly unusual move that has stirred political and legal circles, President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice to seek the release of grand jury testimony connected to Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier accused of sex trafficking minors. The order, confirmed late Thursday, follows growing bipartisan pressure and backlash from Trump’s own supporters over the administration’s handling of Epstein-related disclosures.
“Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” Trump announced on Truth Social. Bondi followed up on X, stating that the DOJ would move the court the following day. By Friday, a formal motion had been filed in the Southern District of New York, requesting the unsealing of transcripts “subject to appropriate redactions.”
The move is unprecedented, legal experts say. “I’ve never heard of this before,” said Mitchell Epner, a former federal prosecutor. He cautioned that grand jury materials are typically protected by strict confidentiality and that disclosure would require judicial consent. CNN’s Elie Honig noted that such transcripts may represent only a “minuscule fraction” of the overall Epstein file, excluding surveillance footage, financial records, and wiretap evidence.
The demand also coincides with Trump’s fiery denial of a Wall Street Journal report alleging he sent Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday card in 2003, which he called “FAKE.” Trump has since filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal and its parent company, NewsCorp, along with its executives and reporters.
Critics across the aisle have echoed calls for transparency. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a House petition to release all Epstein files, while Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said it “goes to the heart of trust in government.”
Despite the dramatic order, the timeline for release remains uncertain. As Epner noted, “weeks would be moving very quickly—months is likely.”
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