"Because Jeffrey Epstein is ridiculously over-publicized, I have instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all relevant grand jury testimony, if approved by the court. This Democrat-fabricated hoax needs to end immediately," former US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on 17/7/2025.
Immediately following Trump's statement, Bondi said the Department of Justice was prepared to petition the court for the release of the transcripts and would do so today.
CNN reported that the Justice Department has the authority to request the court's permission to release such materials, but the process could be lengthy as the judge must consider privacy rights and other concerns.
Trump has recently faced increasing pressure after the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a memo concluding there was no evidence that Epstein "maintained a client list" or blackmailed powerful individuals, contrary to numerous rumors.
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Former US President Donald Trump at the White House on 16/7/2025. Photo: AP |
Former US President Donald Trump at the White House on 16/7/2025. Photo: AP
The agencies also confirmed that Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019, not by foul play as some have speculated, and that they would not release further information about the investigation.
Trump has also repeatedly urged Republican voters not to "waste time" on the case, alleging that the "Epstein files" are a Democratic hoax for political purposes.
This has caused dissatisfaction among some of Trump's supporters who believed the rumors. They expected Trump to confirm them upon returning to the White House but have now been told that the conspiracy theories are false.
Before last year's election, Trump stated he would "not hesitate" to release documents related to the Epstein case if he returned to the White House. Bondi also pledged a few months ago to disclose important information about the case, including "many names and flight logs".
Allegations of Epstein's abuse of underage girls first became public in 2006. The financier was arrested that year before reaching a plea deal related to child prostitution in Florida in 2008. Epstein died in jail in 2019 after being arrested a second time on charges of large-scale sex trafficking.
Trump was one of several prominent figures who were friends with Epstein, but he denies ever visiting the financier's home in the Virgin Islands, where the crimes allegedly took place.
Pham Giang (Reuters, CNN)
