President Donald Trump on Friday took legal action less than 24 hours after The Wall Street Journal published an article saying Trump sent a letter to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 that included a drawing of a naked woman.
The lawsuit named the Journal’s parent company, News Corp.; its publisher, Dow Jones; two reporters for the newspaper; and News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch as the defendants.
The suit, filed in the Southern District of Florida, comes after Trump denied The Wall Street Journal’s reporting that he had written a birthday message to Epstein more than two decades ago that featured a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and a signature of his first name.
Dow Jones, News Corp., and the two reporters listed as defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. Information on Murdoch’s attorneys was not immediately available since the lawsuit has not yet been filed on the court’s docket.
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After the Journal published its article, Trump posted on Truth Social that he had directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce “pertinent” testimony tied to the Epstein case subject to court approval, citing “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein.”
Bondi responded on X that the Justice Department was “ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts,” and on Friday the DOJ filed a motion seeking to unseal grand jury transcripts tied to Epstein’s case.
Trump and his Republican allies have sought to blame Democrats for the maelstrom surrounding Epstein, despite many years of Trump supporters promoting conspiracy theories linked to Epstein’s 2019 death in prison. On the campaign trail, Trump said he would have “no problem” looking into a list of Epstein’s clients if elected.
The White House said Thursday that Trump is not interested in appointing a special counsel to review Epstein’s case. He has recently downplayed the files as “boring,” and disavowed supporters whom he said “bought into this bulls—.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
