|
US President Donald Trump has said that he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all relevant grand jury testimony in the case of sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, The Hill reported.
"Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval. This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday. Following the announcement, Bondi posted on X, "President Trump--we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts." Trump's directive comes amid mounting pressure from his supporters to disclose more information in the Epstein case. Last week, the FBI and Justice Department stated that Epstein did not have a client list and reaffirmed that his 2019 death in a New York City jail cell was ruled a suicide. A number of Trump supporters have long promoted conspiracy theories regarding Epstein's death, claiming that releasing a client list would expose links between Epstein and prominent Democrats. Epstein, who was accused in multiple cases of trafficking young girls for sex, had ties with several high-profile individuals, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew, and other celebrities and billionaires. His associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking. According to The Hill, Trump has recently expressed frustration with the continued focus on the Epstein case, including by some of his loyal supporters. He reportedly criticised "weaklings" and "foolish Republicans" for amplifying the issue and claimed that "some of his supporters had been 'duped' by Democrats into giving the story oxygen." Bondi has also been under fire from some Trump supporters, who argue she has overpromised and underdelivered on producing documents related to Epstein. The Hill reported that Trump's comments followed the House Rules Committee's advancement of a resolution calling for -- though not requiring -- the release of information related to the Epstein files. A timeline for a floor vote remains unclear. Trump's announcement also came just hours after The Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that he had written a letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003. According to the Journal, the letter included several lines "framed by the outline of a naked woman" and ended with, "Happy Birthday -- and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump denied writing the letter and said he would sue The Wall Street Journal over the report. His allies quickly rallied to discredit the publication and the credibility of the story. (ANI)
|
