Trump sues Wall Street Journal over Epstein report, seeks $12.8 billion

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump sued The Wall Street Journal and its owners including Mr Rupert Murdoch on July 18, seeking at least US$10 billion (S$12.8 billion) in damages over the newspaper’s report that

Mr Trump in 2003 sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday greeting

that included a sexually suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared.

Mr Trump filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Southern District of Florida against Dow Jones, News Corp, Mr Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal reporters, accusing the defendants of defamation and saying they acted with malicious intent that caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm.

Mr Trump has vehemently denied the Journal report, which Reuters has not verified, and warned Mr Murdoch, the founder of News Corp, that he planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a division of News Corp.

“I look forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in my lawsuit against him and his ‘pile of garbage’ newspaper, the WSJ. That will be an interesting experience!!!” Mr Trump said in a post on Truth Social on the morning of July 18.

Representatives of News Corp and Murdoch could not be reached for comment.

Dow Jones, the Journal’s long-time publisher, responded to Mr Trump’s libel suit on July 18 saying it is standing by the story.

“We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” a Dow Jones spokesperson said in a statement.

Disgraced financier and sex offender Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019.

The case has generated conspiracy theories that became popular among Mr Trump’s base of supporters, who believed the government was covering up Epstein’s ties to the rich and powerful.

Some of Mr Trump’s most loyal followers became furious after his administration reversed course on its promise to release files related to the Epstein investigation.

A Justice Department memo released on July 7 concluded that Epstein killed himself and said there was “no incriminating client list” or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent people. 

Attorney-General Pam Bondi had pledged months earlier to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including “a lot of names” and “a lot of flight logs”.

With pressure to release the Epstein files building, Mr Trump on July 17 said he had directed Ms Bondi to ask a court to release grand jury testimony about Epstein.

The US government on July 18 filed a motion in a Manhattan federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the cases of Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who in 2021 was convicted of five federal charges related to her role in Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls. She is serving a 20-year sentence.

“Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter,” Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche said in the filing. “After all, Jeffrey Epstein is the most infamous paedophile in American history.”

Mr Blanche called the transcripts “critical pieces of an important moment in our nation’s history”, and said “the time for the public to guess what they contain should end”.

He said prosecutors would work to redact all victim-identifying information before making anything public.

Bawdy letter

The Journal said the letter bearing Mr Trump’s name was part of a leather-bound birthday book for Epstein that included messages from other high-profile people.

The newspaper said the letter contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.

The newspaper said the letter concludes “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret”, and featured the signature “Donald”.

Allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing girls became public in 2006 – after the birthday book was allegedly produced – and he was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal.

Epstein died just over a month after he was arrested for a second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy.

Mr Trump, who was photographed with Epstein multiple times in social situations in the 1990s and early 2000s, told reporters in 2019 that he ended his relationship with Epstein before his legal troubles became apparent.

In 2002, Mr Trump, a Florida neighbour of Epstein’s, was quoted in New York Magazine as saying: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office in 2019, Mr Trump said he and Epstein had a “falling out” before the financier was first arrested.

Mr Trump said he “knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him” but that, “I had a falling out with him. I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you”.

What the transcripts could show

The release of the grand jury documents may fall short of what many of Mr Trump’s supporters have sought, including case files held by the administration.

Grand juries review evidence from prosecutors to determine whether people should be indicted for crimes.

This includes hearsay, improperly obtained information and other evidence that prosecutors would not be allowed to present at trial.

Transcripts of grand jury proceedings are generally kept secret under federal criminal procedure rules, with limited exceptions.

A judge may allow disclosure of grand jury matters in connection with judicial proceedings, or at the request of defendants who believe it could lead to the dismissal of their indictments.

It is likely that some material released from grand jury proceedings would be redacted, or blacked out, because of privacy or security concerns. REUTERS