Cliff Notes – Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Murdoch over Epstein report
- Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and others over a report about a suggestive letter he allegedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003.
- The article detailed Trump’s letter, which reportedly included a provocative sketch and birthday wishes for Epstein, raising questions about Trump’s past associations with Epstein.
- Amid ongoing scrutiny, the US Justice Department is moving to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, as pressure mounts for greater transparency in the case.
Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Murdoch over Epstein report
The lawsuit comes after WSJ published a report detailing a sexually suggestive birthday letter Trump sent to Epstein in 2003.
What do we know so far?
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Florida federal court in Miami on Friday, also targets reporters who worked on the Trump-Epstein article along with Murdoch’s companies Dow Jones and News Corp. Trump’s defamation suit is seeking at least $10 billion (€11.6 billion) in damages.
The article said that a letter with Trump’s signature was included in a book for the financier on Epstein’s 50th birthday. The letter from Trump reportedly outlined a sketch of a naked woman and said “A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump has vehemently denied that he wrote the letter to Epstein, who died in his jail cell in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently in prison on federal charges for recruiting girls who would be abused by Epstein.
Amid pressure, DOJ moves to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
Trump’s relationship with Epstein has faced scrutiny from even his own supporters in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, US Justice Department (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found that Epstein did not have a “client list” used to blackmail powerful figures. The DOJ and FBI also reiterated that Epstein killed himself and was not murdered.
As the Trump administration faces pressure to be more transparent on the Epstein case, the DOJ on Friday filed a motion in Manhattan federal court to release grand jury transcripts pertaining to Epstein.
It came after Trump a day earlier ordered Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask the court to unseal those transcripts.
Donald Trump, his now wife Melania, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell pose for a photo in February 2000. (below)
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