In a surprising turn of events, former President Donald Trump has ordered the release of all grand jury testimony related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, amid growing pressure from various parties. Trump wrote on his social media platform “Truth Social” that “Given the extraordinarily high level of interest in the Epstein case, I have asked the Department of Justice, with court approval, to submit all relevant Grand Jury testimony.”
Bondi immediately responded, stating, “President Trump – we are ready to file the motion with the court to unseal the Grand Jury testimony records tomorrow (Friday).” This announcement comes after a report by The Wall Street Journal that a letter signed by Trump was included in a collection of letters sent to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, which the newspaper described as “vulgar.”
The question now is whether the DOJ can convince a federal judge in New York, where the Epstein case was investigated, to release the testimony records that led to his indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019. According to federal criminal procedure rules, grand jury testimony is typically kept secret and is only released in very limited exceptional circumstances.
Another uncertainty is whether the release of the testimonies will alleviate criticism directed at Bondi for her recent decision “not to disclose further documents or evidence related to Epstein” – as these testimonies are only a small part of the evidence collected by prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The Epstein case has fueled numerous conspiracy theories among Trump supporters. Some question the official conclusion that Epstein committed suicide in a Manhattan jail in August 2019. They also demand the release of the so-called Epstein “client list,” believing he may have used it to blackmail powerful figures, and demand that other implicated individuals be brought to justice.
While Trump blames Democrats for the calls to release the Epstein files, a growing number of Republicans, including his former Vice President Mike Pence and Republican members of Congress, have joined the call for the release of more materials.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Trump “does not recommend” appointing a special prosecutor to review the handling of the Epstein criminal case. A memorandum issued by the FBI this month revealed that a “systematic review” of Epstein case files did not uncover a “compromising client list.”
The memorandum also supported the previous official conclusion that Epstein committed suicide, and attached a video confirming that “Epstein was locked in his cell at approximately 10:40 p.m. on August 9, 2019, and until approximately 6:30 a.m. the following day, no one entered any area in the Manhattan Detention Center’s Special Housing Unit.”
However, Wired magazine reported that “newly discovered metadata indicates that nearly 3 minutes of footage was cut from what the Department of Justice and the FBI described as ‘complete and original’ surveillance video (from the only functioning camera near Epstein’s cell) on the night before he was found dead.” The question remains: what did these three minutes hide?
Note: This analysis aims to provide information on the developments of the Epstein case and does not offer any investment advice.
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