--- title: DOJ Asks Judge to Release Epstein Grand Jury Testimony description: The move comes as the Trump Administration faces a wave of criticism from lawmakers and the public over its handling of the Epstein case. canonical: https://time.com/7303744/trump-epstein-doj-grand-jury-testimony/ author: Chantelle Lee article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2025-07-18T23:05:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T01:21:36.597Z article:section: Politics og:title: DOJ Asks Judge to Release Epstein Grand Jury Testimony og:description: The move comes as the Trump Administration faces a wave of criticism over its handling of the Epstein case. og:url: https://time.com/7303744/trump-epstein-doj-grand-jury-testimony/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbae91d8964a26221/6998c85dc8dcb433fdb5052f/Epstein-Trump-Grand-Jury.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Jeffrey Epstein Mug Shot og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: DOJ Asks Judge to Release Epstein Grand Jury Testimony twitter:description: The move comes as the Trump Administration faces a wave of criticism over its handling of the Epstein case. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbae91d8964a26221/6998c85dc8dcb433fdb5052f/Epstein-Trump-Grand-Jury.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # DOJ Asks Judge to Release Epstein Grand Jury Testimony After Trump’s Request > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Jul 18, 2025 11:05 PM UTC  The mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein, 2019. The mug shot of Jeffrey Epstein, 2019. Kypros/Getty Images by [Chantelle Lee](https://time.com/author/chantelle-lee/) ## Chantelle Lee Reporter Jul 18, 2025 11:05 PM UTC The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday asked a federal judge to release the transcripts of grand jury testimony made against Jeffrey Epstein years ago, as the Trump Administration [faces a wave of criticism](https://time.com/7302081/trump-epstein-files-maga-base-lose-supporters-conspiracy-theorists-transparency/) from lawmakers and the public over its handling of the late sex offender’s case. The move comes after President Donald Trump [said](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114871557460531003) he asked Attorney General Pam Bondi “to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval,” amid the heightened interest in the Epstein case. In its [filing](https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/26002925/doj-filing-in-epstein.pdf), the DOJ writes that even after it and the FBI concluded their review of the case, “the public’s interest in the Epstein matter has remained.” “Given this longstanding and legitimate interest, the government now moves to unseal grand jury transcripts associated with Epstein,” the filing reads. It adds that officials will “redact all victim-identifying information” before releasing any documents. The renewed interest in the case involving the convicted sex offender and disgraced billionaire financier began earlier this month, after the DOJ and FBI [released a memo](https://time.com/7300378/epstein-client-list-suicide-blackmail-conspiracy-theories-doj-fbi-memo/) in which investigators concluded that Epstein didn’t have a “client list” of co-conspirators and that his 2019 death in jail was a suicide. Epstein has been the subject of conspiracy theories for years, particularly among Trump’s MAGA supporters. Trump and his Administration have since tried to [dismiss](https://time.com/7301051/trump-jeffrey-epstein-bondi/) concerns about the Epstein case, [sparking anger and frustration](https://time.com/7302081/trump-epstein-files-maga-base-lose-supporters-conspiracy-theorists-transparency/) from many of the President’s own supporters over how he has handled the matter. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have [called](https://time.com/7302296/jeffrey-epstein-files-trump-marc-veasey/) for transparency, [demanding](https://time.com/7302441/epstein-trump-bondi-republicans-maga/) a full disclosure of the Epstein files. **Read more:** [_Why Trump Can’t Put Out the Epstein Fire He Helped Ignite_](https://time.com/7303635/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter/) Amid the outcry, Trump’s [years-long relationship](https://time.com/7302268/donald-trump-jeffrey-epstein-timeline-relationship-2/) with Epstein has drawn heightened attention. The request by the DOJ comes on the same day that Trump [filed a lawsuit](https://time.com/7303381/trump-epstein-documents-wsj-letter/) against the _Wall Street Journal_’s parent firms Dow Jones and News Corp, its owner Rupert Murdoch, and two reporters after the _Journal_ published an [article](https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796?mod=hp%5Flead%5Fpos7) alleging that Trump sent a “bawdy” letter to Epstein in 2003\. Trump has denied writing the letter, telling the _Journal,_ “It’s not my language. 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