Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Murdoch over reporting on Epstein ties

Saturday 19 July 2025 10:15 am

President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit on Friday in opposition to The Wall Avenue Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a day after the newspaper revealed a narrative reporting on ties to rich financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court docket in Miami. It seeks at the very least $10bn (£7.4bn) in damages.

Mr Trump promised a lawsuit after the newspaper described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Mr Trump’s title and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday.

The president denied writing the letter, calling the story “false, malicious, and defamatory”.

The letter was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as a part of a birthday album for Epstein years earlier than he was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Mr Trump.

The letter bearing Mr Trump’s title contains textual content framed by the define of what seems to be a hand-drawn bare lady and ends with, “Blissful Birthday — and should day-after-day be one other great secret,” in keeping with the newspaper.

The outlet described the contents of the letter however didn’t publish a photograph exhibiting it completely or present particulars on the way it got here to study it.

It comes after the US Justice Division requested a federal court docket to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s case on the route of Mr Trump amid a firestorm over the administration’s dealing with of data associated to the case.

Deputy lawyer basic Todd Blanche filed motions urging the court docket to unseal the Epstein transcripts in addition to these within the case in opposition to Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage ladies to be sexually abused by Epstein.

Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest whereas awaiting trial.

The Justice Division’s announcement that it will not be making public any extra Epstein recordsdata enraged elements of Mr Trump’s base, partially as a result of members of his personal administration had hyped the anticipated launch and stoked conspiracies across the well-connected financier.

The Justice Division stated within the court docket filings that it’s going to work with prosecutors in New York to make applicable redactions of victim-related info and different personally figuring out info earlier than transcripts are launched.

“Transparency on this course of is not going to be on the expense of our obligation underneath the legislation to guard victims,” Mr Blanche wrote.

However regardless of the brand new push to launch the grand jury transcripts, the administration has not introduced plans to reverse course and launch different proof in its possession.

Legal professional basic Pam Bondi had hyped the discharge of extra supplies after the preliminary Epstein recordsdata disclosure in February sparked outrage as a result of it contained no new revelations.

A choose must approve the discharge of the grand jury transcripts, and it’s more likely to be a prolonged course of to resolve what can develop into public and to make redactions to guard delicate witness and sufferer info.

The data would present testimony from witnesses and different proof offered by the prosecution through the secret grand jury proceedings, when a panel decides whether or not there may be sufficient proof to deliver an indictment, or a proper felony cost.

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