Grand jury transcripts are expected to be released following a Wall Street Journal report detailing a sexually suggestive letter allegedly bearing Donald Trump‘s name, found in a 2003 album belonging to Jeffrey Epstein.
The letter, reportedly framed by an outline resembling a naked woman, concludes with the phrase, “happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.” The Wall Street journal described the letter’s contents but did not publish a full image.
Donald Trump has vehemently denied authoring the letter, labeling it “false, malicious, and defamatory” and threatening legal action. He stated he informed Rupert Murdoch,the paper’s owner,and its top editor,Emma Tucker,that the letter was fabricated. Trump also asserted on social media,”These are not my words,not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.”
The Justice Department has indicated it will collaborate with New York prosecutors to redact victim-related and other personally identifying facts before the transcripts are made public. A Justice Department filing, attributed to Blanche, stated, “Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims.”
Despite this move towards releasing grand jury transcripts, the administration has not announced plans to release other evidence in its possession. This follows public outcry after the initial disclosure of epstein files in February, which was criticized for lacking new revelations, according to Pam Bondi, the US attorney general.
The release of the grand jury transcripts is contingent on a judge’s approval and is anticipated to be a protracted process involving decisions on what information can be made public and the necessary redactions to safeguard sensitive witness and victim details.
These records are expected to contain testimony from witnesses and other evidence presented by prosecutors during the confidential grand jury proceedings, where a panel determines if sufficient evidence exists to issue an indictment or formal criminal charges.
