WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit towards The Wall Road Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch Friday, a day after the newspaper revealed a narrative reporting on his ties to rich financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The transfer got here shortly after the Justice Division requested a federal court docket on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s intercourse trafficking case, because the administration seeks to include the firestorm that erupted after it introduced that it might not be releasing extra recordsdata from the case, regardless of beforehand pledging to take action.
The controversy has created a serious fissure between Trump and his loyal base, with a few of his most vocal supporters slamming the White Home for the way in which it has dealt with the case, and questioning why Trump wouldn’t need the paperwork made public.
WATCH: Trump on defensive as MAGA base questions his Epstein connections and investigation
Trump had promised to sue the Wall Road Journal nearly instantly after the paper put a brand new highlight on his well-documented relationship with Epstein by publishing an article that described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s title and was included in a 2003 album compiled for Epstein’s fiftieth birthday.
Trump denied writing the letter, calling the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
The swimsuit, filed in filed in federal court docket in Miami, accuses the paper and its reporters of getting “knowingly and recklessly” revealed “quite a few false, defamatory, and disparaging statements,” which, it alleges, precipitated “overwhelming monetary and reputational hurt” to the president.
In a submit on his Reality Social website, Trump solid the lawsuit as a part of his efforts to punish information shops, together with ABC and CBS, which each reached multimillion-dollar settlement offers with the president after he took them to court docket.
“This lawsuit is filed not solely on behalf of your favourite President, ME, but additionally to be able to proceed standing up for ALL Individuals who will not tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Pretend Information Media,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal’s writer, responded Friday evening, “We now have full confidence within the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and can vigorously defend towards any lawsuit.”
The letter revealed by The Wall Road Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as a part of a birthday album for Epstein years earlier than the rich financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump.
READ MORE: Trump mired in Epstein controversy as Wall Street Journal reports on 2003 letter
The letter bearing Trump’s title consists of textual content framed by the define of what seems to be a hand-drawn bare girl and ends with, “Joyful Birthday — and will day-after-day be one other great secret,” in response to the newspaper.
Trump denied writing the letter and promised to sue. He stated he spoke to each to the paper’s proprietor, Rupert Murdoch, and its high editor, Emma Tucker, earlier than the story was revealed and advised them the letter was “pretend.”
“These are usually not my phrases, not the way in which I discuss. Additionally, I don’t draw footage,” the president insisted.
The outlet described the contents of the letter however didn’t publish a photograph displaying it totally or present particulars on the way it got here to study it.
Within the lawsuit, Trump takes difficulty with that truth. The defendants, it attests, “failed to connect the letter, failed to connect the alleged drawing, failed to point out proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to clarify how this purported letter was obtained.”
“The explanation for these failures is as a result of no genuine letter or drawing exists,” it goes on to cost, alleging that the “Defendants concocted this story to malign President Trump’s character and integrity and deceptively painting him in a false gentle.”
Earlier Friday, Deputy Legal professional Common Todd Blanche filed motions in a separate federal court docket urging them to unseal the Epstein transcripts in addition to these within the case towards Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage ladies to be sexually abused by Epstein. Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest whereas awaiting trial.
The Justice Division’s announcement that it might not be making public any extra Epstein recordsdata enraged components of Trump’s base partly as a result of members of his personal administration had hyped the anticipated launch and stoked conspiracies across the well-connected financier.
The Justice Division stated within the court docket filings that it’ll work with with prosecutors in New York to make applicable redactions of victim-related info and different personally figuring out info earlier than transcripts are launched.
“Transparency on this course of is not going to be on the expense of our obligation underneath the regulation to guard victims,” Blanche wrote.
However regardless of the brand new push to launch the grand jury transcripts, the administration has not introduced plans to reverse course and launch different proof in its possession. Legal professional Common Pam Bondi had hyped the discharge of extra supplies after the primary Epstein recordsdata disclosure in February sparked outrage as a result of it contained no new revelations.
A decide must approve the discharge of the grand jury transcripts, and it’s prone to be a prolonged course of to determine what can turn out to be public and to make redactions to guard delicate witness and sufferer info.
The data would present testimony of witnesses and different proof that was introduced by prosecutions in the course of the secret grand jury proceedings, when a panel decides whether or not there’s sufficient proof to carry an indictment, or a proper felony cost.
Neumeister and Colvin reported from New York.