Latest news with #politicalcrisis
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
White House now not denying that Trump's name appears in Epstein files, official says
The White House is not denying that US President Donald Trump's name appears in the files associated with financier Jeffrey Epstein, an administration official told Reuters on Wednesday. The official said the fact of Trump's name appearing in the files had been acknowledged in briefing binders that were shared with influencers. Earlier, the White House dismissed as "fake news" a Wall Street Journal report that US Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files in Justice Department files related to Epstein. The disclosure about Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's case records threatened to deepen a political crisis that has engulfed his administration for weeks. Some Trump supporters for years have fanned conspiracy theories about Epstein's clients and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The White House sent mixed signals following the story. It released an initial statement characterising it as "fake news," but a White House official later told Reuters the administration was not denying that Trump's name appears in some files, noting that Trump was already included in a tranche of materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. During her trial, Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. Reuters was not able to immediately verify the Journal's report. Trump has faced intense backlash from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise. The Justice Department said in a memo earlier this month that there was no basis to continue probing the Epstein case, sparking anger among some prominent Trump supporters who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people who had interacted with Epstein. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the Journal's report. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts," the officials said. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." Many names appeared The newspaper reported that Bondi and her deputy told Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as those of "many other high-profile figures," appeared in the files. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. That motion stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents; the department has also requested the unsealing of transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to later indictments brought against Epstein and Maxwell. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the alleged letter. Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Mega pushback Trump and his advisers have long engaged in conspiracy theories, including about Epstein, that have resonated with Trump's political base. The Make American Great Again movement's broad refusal to accept his administration's argument that those theories are now unfounded is unusual for a politician who is accustomed to enjoying relatively unchallenged loyalty from his supporters. Epstein hung himself in prison, according to the New York City chief medical examiner. But his connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedeviled Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. His decision temporarily stymied a push by Democrats and some Republicans for a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents. But a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous." More than two-thirds of Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.
BreakingNews.ie
2 hours ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump was told he is in Epstein files, WSJ reports
US attorney general Pam Bondi told president Donald Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The disclosure about Mr Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's case records threatened to deepen a political crisis that has engulfed his administration for weeks. Some Trump supporters for years have fanned conspiracy theories about Epstein's clients and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. Advertisement The White House sent mixed signals following the story. It released an initial statement characterizing it as "fake news," but a White House official later told Reuters the administration was not denying that Mr Trump's name appears in some files, noting that Mr Trump was already included in a tranche of materials Ms Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. Flight logs Mr Trump, who was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Mr Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. During her trial, Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Mr Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Mr Trump has denied being on the plane. Advertisement Reuters was not able to immediately verify the Journal's report. Mr Trump has faced intense backlash from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise. Memo The Justice Department said in a memo earlier this month that there was no basis to continue probing the Epstein case, sparking anger among some prominent Trump supporters who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people who had interacted with Epstein. Mr Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Advertisement Ms Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the Journal's report. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts," the officials said. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." Many names appeared The newspaper reported that Ms Bondi and her deputy told Mr Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as those of "many other high-profile figures," appeared in the files. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. Advertisement Under political pressure last week, Mr Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. On Wednesday, US district judge Robin Rosenberg denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. That motion stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents; the department has also requested the unsealing of transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to later indictments brought against Epstein and Maxwell. Last week, the Journal reported that Mr Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended: "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Advertisement Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the alleged letter. Mr Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. MAGA pushback Mr Trump and his advisers have long engaged in conspiracy theories, including about Epstein, that have resonated with Mr Trump's political base. The Make American Great Again movement's broad refusal to accept his administration's argument that those theories are now unfounded is unusual for a politician who is accustomed to enjoying relatively unchallenged loyalty from his supporters. Epstein hung himself in prison, according to the New York City chief medical examiner. But his connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedeviled Mr Trump and divided his fellow Republicans, US House speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. A billboard in Times Square calls for the release of the Epstein files on July 23rd, in New York City. Photo:His decision temporarily stymied a push by Democrats and some Republicans for a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents. But a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday approved a subpoena seeking all Justice Department files on Epstein. Three Republicans joined five Democrats to back the effort, in a sign that Mr Trump's party was not ready to move on from the issue. Mr Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former president Barack Obama undermined Mr Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Mr Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous". More than two-thirds of Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.
Japan Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
Trump was told he is in Epstein files, Wall Street Journal reports
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared in investigative files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The disclosure about Trump's appearance in the Justice Department's records on the case threatened to deepen a political crisis that has engulfed his administration for weeks. Some Trump supporters for years have fanned conspiracy theories about Epstein's clients and the circumstances of his 2019 death in prison. The White House sent mixed signals following the story. It released an initial statement characterizing it as "fake news," but a White House official later said the administration was not denying that Trump's name appears in some files, noting that Trump was already included in a tranche of materials Bondi assembled in February for conservative influencers. Trump, who was friendly with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, appears multiple times on flight logs for Epstein's private plane in the 1990s. Trump and several members of his family also appear in an Epstein contact book, alongside hundreds of others. Much of that material had been publicly released in the criminal case against Epstein's former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes. During her trial, Epstein's longtime pilot testified that Trump flew on Epstein's private plane multiple times. Trump has denied being on the plane. The Journal's report could not be immediately verified. Trump has faced intense backlash from his own supporters after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise. The Justice Department said in a memo earlier this month that there was no basis to continue probing the Epstein case, sparking anger among some prominent Trump supporters who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people who had interacted with Epstein. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein's legal troubles first began two decades ago. Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the Journal's report. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts," the officials said. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." Many named appeared The newspaper reported that Bondi and her deputy told Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as those of "many other high-profile figures," appeared in the files. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, to which he had pleaded not guilty. In a separate case, Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge in Florida and received a 13-month sentence in what is now widely regarded as too lenient a deal with prosecutors. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi (center) during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on July 8 | Doug Mills / The New York Times On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg denied one of those requests, finding that it did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. That motion stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents; the department has also requested the unsealing of transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to later indictments brought against Epstein and Maxwell. Last week, the Journal reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." The authenticity of the alleged letter could not be confirmed. Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. MAGA pushback Trump and his advisers have long engaged in conspiracy theories, including about Epstein, that have resonated with Trump's political base. The Make America Great Again movement's broad refusal to accept his administration's argument that those theories are now unfounded is unusual for a politician who is accustomed to enjoying relatively unchallenged loyalty from his supporters. Epstein hung himself in prison, according to the New York City chief medical examiner. But his connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedeviled Trump and his fellow Republicans, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. His decision temporarily stymied a push by Democrats and some Republicans for a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents. Trump, stung and frustrated by the continued focus on the Epstein story, has sought to divert attention to other topics, including unfounded accusations that former President Barack Obama undermined Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign. Obama's office denounced the allegations as "ridiculous." More than two-thirds of Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week.
Globe and Mail
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Globe and Mail
Bondi told Trump in May he is in Epstein files, report says, White House calls it ‘fake news'
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared in Justice Department files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing senior administration officials. Reuters was not able to immediately verify the Journal's report, which the White House characterized as 'fake news.' The newspaper's report threatened to expand what has become a major political crisis for Trump, whose past friendship with Epstein has drawn renewed scrutiny after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise. The Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that there was no basis to continue probing the Epstein case, triggering a backlash among Trump's political base who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people who had interacted with Epstein. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein was first prosecuted. The Epstein files: Why it's a big deal for MAGA and what's happening Analysis: Furor over alleged Epstein files seems almost like fiction, but with real, immense consequences Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty and the case was dismissed after his death. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts from the case. A federal judge denied that request earlier on Wednesday. While the White House immediately dismissed the report as fictitious, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the newspaper's reporting. 'Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts,' the officials said. 'As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings.' The Journal reported that Bondi and her deputy told Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as those of 'many other high-profile figures,' appeared in the files. Last week, the newspaper reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, 'Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.' U.S. judge rejects bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts from 2005 and 2007 Trump sues Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch for Epstein birthday letter coverage Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the alleged letter. Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Since the Justice Department's memo, Trump has faced growing frustration among his base of supporters, after far-right figures spent years promoting conspiracy theories – at times echoed by Trump – about Epstein and alleged ties to prominent Democratic politicians. Epstein hung himself in prison in 2019, according to the New York City chief medical examiner. But his connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedeviled Trump and his fellow Republicans, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. His decision temporarily stymied a push by Democrats and some Republicans for a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents. More than two-thirds of Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week. Wednesday's court motion stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg found that the Justice Department's request in Florida did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. The Justice Department also has pending requests to unseal transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to later indictments brought against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes.
Reuters
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Wall Street Journal reports Trump is in Epstein files, White House calls story 'fake'
WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi told President Donald Trump in May that his name appeared in Justice Department files related to financier Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing senior administration officials. Reuters was not able to immediately verify the Journal's report, which the White House characterized as "fake news." The newspaper's report threatened to expand what has become a major political crisis for Trump, whose past friendship with Epstein has drawn renewed scrutiny after his administration said it would not release the files, reversing a campaign promise. The Justice Department released a memo earlier this month that there was no basis to continue probing the Epstein case, triggering a backlash among Trump's political base who demanded more information about wealthy and powerful people who had interacted with Epstein. Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein and has said their friendship ended before Epstein was first prosecuted. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty and the case was dismissed after his death. Under political pressure last week, Trump directed the Justice Department to seek the release of sealed grand jury transcripts from the case. A federal judge denied that request earlier on Wednesday. While the White House immediately dismissed the report as fictitious, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a statement that did not directly address the newspaper's reporting. "Nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution, and we have filed a motion in court to unseal the underlying grand jury transcripts," the officials said. "As part of our routine briefing, we made the President aware of the findings." The Journal reported that Bondi and her deputy told Trump at a White House meeting that his name, as well as those of "many other high-profile figures," appeared in the files. Last week, the newspaper reported that Trump had sent Epstein a bawdy birthday note in 2003 that ended, "Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret." Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the alleged letter. Trump has sued the Journal and its owners, including billionaire Rupert Murdoch, asserting that the birthday note was fake. Since the Justice Department's memo, Trump has faced growing frustration among his base of supporters, after far-right figures spent years promoting conspiracy theories - at times echoed by Trump - about Epstein and alleged ties to prominent Democratic politicians. Epstein hung himself in prison in 2019, according to the New York City chief medical examiner. But his connections with wealthy and powerful individuals prompted speculation that his death was not a suicide. The Justice Department said in its memo this month that it had concluded Epstein died by his own hand. In a sign of how the issue has bedeviled Trump and his fellow Republicans, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday abruptly said he would send lawmakers home for the summer a day early to avoid a floor fight over a vote on the Epstein files. His decision temporarily stymied a push by Democrats and some Republicans for a vote on a bipartisan resolution that would require the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related documents. More than two-thirds of Americans believe the Trump administration is hiding information about Epstein's clients, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week. Wednesday's court motion stemmed from federal investigations into Epstein in 2005 and 2007, according to court documents. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg found that the Justice Department's request in Florida did not fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. The Justice Department also has pending requests to unseal transcripts in Manhattan federal court related to later indictments brought against Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction for child sex trafficking and other crimes.
