Trump admin seeks release of Epstein jury records amid ‘birthday letter’ row

The US Department of Justice filed a motion in the Manhattan federal court seeking for the unsealed court documents to be made public.

Published on: Jul 19, 2025, 18:32:09 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Trump administration has sought the release of the grand jury transcripts related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The case has been under the spotlight since last week, after the Trump administration announced that it would not be releasing any more files related to the probe against Epstein. (Getty Images via AFP)

The US Department of Justice filed a motion in the Manhattan federal court seeking for the unsealed court documents to be made public, Reuters reported. The filing stated that the criminal cases against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell were a matter of public interest.

The filing comes after a Wall Street Journal report which described a birthday card addressed to Epstein. The report alleged that the letter bore Trump's name, while the US President denied any links to it.

The case has been under the spotlight since last week, after the Trump administration announced that it would not be releasing any more files related to the sex trafficking probe against Epstein.

The ‘birthday letter’ controversy: What did the WSJ report claim?

The report published by WSJ claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell had prepared an album for Epstein's 50th birthday, which included letters from his family and friends, including Trump.

The report alleged that the letter carrying Trump's name contained typewritten text, which was framed by the outline of a naked woman.

The figure appeared to be hand-drawn by a marker, WSJ reported. “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” the letter read, and was signed off as ‘Donald’.

Denying any association with the letter, Trump said it was “false, malicious, and defamatory”. In an interview with WSJ, he said the letter was a “fake thing”, saying this was not him.

“I never wrote a picture in my life. I don’t draw pictures of women. It’s not my language. It’s not my words,” Trump said. Hours later, the US President sued media magnate Rupert Murdoch and WSJ for at least $10 billion.

Trump also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to “produce any pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to court approval.”

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