Donald Trump has authorized the Department of Justice to release “all Grand Jury Testimony” from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing the “ridiculous amount of publicity surrounding Jeffrey Epstein” as his reason.
Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking, had connections to numerous wealthy and powerful individuals, including Trump, with whom he was “friendly” for at least 15 years.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers believe some of those linked to Epstein may have been involved in his criminal activities. Epstein had previously been convicted of sex trafficking minors in 2008, and new federal charges were dropped following his death. The Department of Justice has stated that he harmed more than 1,000 victims.
Trump’s authorization followed a Wall Street Journal report claiming he had gifted Epstein a nude sketch of a woman for his 50th birthday—something the former president has denied.
The move is widely seen as an effort to calm unrest among Trump’s own base, including high-ranking Republicans such as House Speaker Mike Johnson, according to the New York Times. Trump had previously made a campaign promise to release all files related to the Epstein case.
Tensions among his supporters escalated days earlier when the FBI and the Department of Justice released a memo stating that no further records from the case would be published, as many contain illegal material involving child sexual abuse and other pornography. The memo also stated that no “client list” was found, and that Epstein’s death was ruled a suicide according to the initial autopsy report.
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