Latest news with #USJusticeDepartment
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: White House claims ‘fake news' as president faces fresh Epstein claims
Donald Trump is facing a widening crisis amid a report claiming that his name appears in US justice department files about Jeffrey Epstein as Congress subpoenas testimony from Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The White House sought to downplay the relationship between the US president and the disgraced financier while Trump's spokesperson denied an account in the Wall Street Journal that the president was told in May by attorney general Pam Bondi that he is named in the Epstein files. The report says the president was told that many other high profile figures were also named and states that being mentioned in the records isn't a sign of wrongdoing. 'The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep,' spokesperson Steven Cheung said. 'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' A federal judge, meanwhile, denied a justice department request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. Here's more on these and the day's other key Trump administration stories: Attorney general Pam Bondi has pushed back against a report claiming that Donald Trump's name appears 'multiple times' in US justice department files about Jeffrey Epstein, saying that 'nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution'. 'As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,' Bondi and her deputy said in a statement. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in an emailed statement: 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' Read the full story A US federal judge has denied a justice department request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to a criminal investigation of Epstein, the late sex offender and financier, in south Florida from the mid-2000s. The move on Wednesday is the first ruling in the Trump administration's series of attempts to release more information after the justice department announced it would not be releasing any additional files related to the Epstein case, despite earlier promises from Trump and Bondi. Read the full story The European Union and the US are close to a trade deal that would place 15% tariffs on most imports from the bloc, it has emerged. The tariff rate would apply to most goods, with some exceptions for products including aircraft and medical devices, according to diplomats with knowledge of the talks. Read the full story Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a trio of executive orders that he vowed would turn the United States into an 'AI export powerhouse', including a directive targeting what the White House described as 'woke' artificial intelligence models. A second order Trump signed on Wednesday calls for deregulating AI development, increasing the building of datacentres and removing environmental protections that could hamper their construction. Read the full story Columbia University announced a much-anticipated deal with the Trump administration to pay a fine worth more than $220m, in an agreement meant to bring a resolution to the threat of massive funding cuts to the school, but certain to rankle critics given the extraordinary concessions made by the Ivy League university. Read the full story The state department is opening an investigation into Harvard University's eligibility as a sponsor for the exchange visitor program, the latest salvo in the Trump administration's pressure campaign on the university over alleged failures to combat campus antisemitism and inadequate support of Israel. Read the full story Donald Trump's advisers have abandoned an effort to find a new chief of staff to the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, allowing senior adviser Ricky Buria to continue performing the duties in an acting role despite once viewing him as a liability, according to people familiar with the matter. Read the full story Robert F Kennedy Jr will formally require vaccine makers to remove thimerosal, an ingredient that has been the target of anti-vaccine campaigns, from vaccines. French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are suing the rightwing commentator Candace Owens for defamation. The acting director of Fema defended his agency's handling of recent deadly floods in Texas, claiming the response was a 'model' for 'how disasters should be handled'. Catching up? Here's what happened on 22 July 2025.
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: White House claims ‘fake news' as president faces fresh Epstein claims
Donald Trump is facing a widening crisis amid a report claiming that his name appears in US justice department files about Jeffrey Epstein as Congress subpoenas testimony from Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The White House sought to downplay the relationship between the US president and the disgraced financier while Trump's spokesperson denied an account in the Wall Street Journal that the president was told in May by attorney general Pam Bondi that he is named in the Epstein files. The report says the president was told that many other high profile figures were also named and states that being mentioned in the records isn't a sign of wrongdoing. 'The fact is that the president kicked him out of his club for being a creep,' spokesperson Steven Cheung said. 'This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' A federal judge, meanwhile, denied a justice department request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein. Here's more on these and the day's other key Trump administration stories: Attorney general Pam Bondi has pushed back against a report claiming that Donald Trump's name appears 'multiple times' in US justice department files about Jeffrey Epstein, saying that 'nothing in the files warranted further investigation or prosecution'. 'As part of our routine briefing, we made the president aware of the findings,' Bondi and her deputy said in a statement. White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in an emailed statement: 'The fact is that the President kicked him out of his club for being a creep. This is nothing more than a continuation of the fake news stories concocted by the Democrats and the liberal media.' Read the full story A US federal judge has denied a justice department request to unseal grand jury transcripts related to a criminal investigation of Epstein, the late sex offender and financier, in south Florida from the mid-2000s. The move on Wednesday is the first ruling in the Trump administration's series of attempts to release more information after the justice department announced it would not be releasing any additional files related to the Epstein case, despite earlier promises from Trump and Bondi. Read the full story The European Union and the US are close to a trade deal that would place 15% tariffs on most imports from the bloc, it has emerged. The tariff rate would apply to most goods, with some exceptions for products including aircraft and medical devices, according to diplomats with knowledge of the talks. Read the full story Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a trio of executive orders that he vowed would turn the United States into an 'AI export powerhouse', including a directive targeting what the White House described as 'woke' artificial intelligence models. A second order Trump signed on Wednesday calls for deregulating AI development, increasing the building of datacentres and removing environmental protections that could hamper their construction. Read the full story Columbia University announced a much-anticipated deal with the Trump administration to pay a fine worth more than $220m, in an agreement meant to bring a resolution to the threat of massive funding cuts to the school, but certain to rankle critics given the extraordinary concessions made by the Ivy League university. Read the full story The state department is opening an investigation into Harvard University's eligibility as a sponsor for the exchange visitor program, the latest salvo in the Trump administration's pressure campaign on the university over alleged failures to combat campus antisemitism and inadequate support of Israel. Read the full story Donald Trump's advisers have abandoned an effort to find a new chief of staff to the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, allowing senior adviser Ricky Buria to continue performing the duties in an acting role despite once viewing him as a liability, according to people familiar with the matter. Read the full story Robert F Kennedy Jr will formally require vaccine makers to remove thimerosal, an ingredient that has been the target of anti-vaccine campaigns, from vaccines. French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron, are suing the rightwing commentator Candace Owens for defamation. The acting director of Fema defended his agency's handling of recent deadly floods in Texas, claiming the response was a 'model' for 'how disasters should be handled'. Catching up? Here's what happened on 22 July 2025.
Mint
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
Florida judge denies DOJ request to unseal Jeffrey Epstein grand jury transcripts
A federal judge in South Florida on Wednesday (July 23) denied a request by the US Justice Department to unseal grand jury transcripts from the 2005 and 2007 federal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender. The decision represents the ongoing attempts by the Trump-era Justice Department to release sealed records tied to Epstein's sex trafficking cases. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg ruled that the department's arguments failed to meet the stringent legal requirements to override grand jury secrecy. In her opinion, Rosenberg said that although the Justice Department claimed the public interest and lapse of time justified disclosure, those reasons do not fall within the narrow exceptions permitted by law. 'My hands are tied,' Rosenberg wrote, citing binding precedent in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which restricts the release of grand jury materials unless very specific criteria are met. The transcripts in question pertain to grand juries convened in West Palm Beach in 2005 and 2007, which ultimately resulted in a controversial plea agreement. Under that deal, Epstein avoided federal charges by pleading guilty to lesser state charges related to the solicitation of underage girls and served just 13 months in jail. The Justice Department's push to unseal the records followed mounting pressure from within President Donald Trump's political base. Many of his supporters believe that Epstein's high-profile connections to elites suggest a broader conspiracy to shield powerful individuals from prosecution. In early July, the DOJ concluded that there was no basis to continue the Epstein probe, further fueling accusations of a cover-up. In its motion, the department acknowledged public frustration and cited the need to 'restore public trust' by releasing additional case information. While the Florida case is now closed, similar motions are still under review in the Southern District of New York. Those requests seek to unseal grand jury records tied to Epstein's 2019 federal indictment and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of helping Epstein recruit and abuse underage girls. She is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. Judge Rosenberg also denied a DOJ request to transfer the Florida case to New York, stating that jurisdictional rules do not permit such a move. Epstein's case has been one of the most controversial in recent US legal history. His 2008 plea deal drew widespread criticism for its leniency and lack of transparency. The wealthy financier was arrested again in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges but was found dead a month later in his Manhattan jail cell. His death was ruled a suicide, though it continues to fuel widespread conspiracy theories.
DW
16 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
US judge denies bid to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts – DW – 07/23/2025
The ruling is the first in a series of attempts by US President Donald Trump to release more information related to the Epstein case, as he faces growing pressure from his MAGA supporters. A US judge has denied a bid by US President Donald Trump's administration to unseal grand jury transcripts concerning the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Florida in the 2000s. US District Judge Robin Rosenberg found on Wednesday that the US Justice Department's request failed to fall into any of the exceptions to rules requiring grand jury material be kept secret. Wednesday's ruling has no impact on two other pending requests by the Justice Department seeking to obtain transcripts of grand jury proceedings related to later federal investigations of Epstein in New York, CNBC reported. The proceedings in question led to Epstein's criminal indictment, as well as the indictment of his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump is facing the biggest internal challenge in his second term in the White House as of yet as a result of the Epstein case. His supporters from the MAGA (Make America Great Again) campaign have lashed out at the US president after the Justice Department closed the case two weeks ago, announcing there was no more information to share. The July 7 memo declared that there was no Epstein "client list," despite claims from Attorney General Pam Bondi that she was reviewing it. The memo affirmed that the disgraced sex offender did in fact die by suicide in his prison cell. MAGA supportershave been told by their leaders for years that the "deep state" was hiding information in the Epstein case to protect Democratic Party figures they accuse of being Epstein's clients. Some MAGA leaders have even fanned conspiracy theories suggesting Epstein did not die by suicide but was murdered by orders made by said clients. Such conspiracies fueled a furious backlash from Trump's MAGA supporters regarding the Justice Department's decision to close the case, prompting the US president to authorize Bondi to release "credible" information on the case. Trump has also asked courts to unseal grand jury transcripts concerning Epstein. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video All of this is happening against the backdrop of an increasing amount of reporting on Trump's 15-year friendship with the late sex offender. Several pictures of the pair partying together document this relationship, which disintegrated in 2004 when they fell out over a property deal. At the time, Trump denounced his former ally. The White House has been furiously refuting a report by the that suggests the US president had contributed a "bawdy" letter with his signature for Epstein's 50th birthday in 2003. Trump has sued the publication and its owner Rupert Murdoch over the report. Also on Wednesday, the reported that Bondi in May notified Trump at a White House meeting that his name appeared multiple times in the Epstein files, citing senior administration officials. Trump was told that many other high-profile figures were also named. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Labor to introduce student debt cuts and childcare reform; Albanese urged to go greener; Ozzy Osbourne dead at 76
Latest posts Latest posts 6.50am Ghislaine Maxwell to meet justice officials to discuss potential new evidence in Epstein saga By Michael Koziol Ghislaine Maxwell, the former socialite who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with her friend Jeffrey Epstein to sexually exploit girls, is set to meet with the US Justice Department to discuss potential new evidence in the sex-trafficking saga. Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche – formerly President Donald Trump's lawyer – said he had approached Maxwell's counsel to see if she would speak with prosecutors, and anticipated meeting her 'in the coming days'. Maxwell's lawyer David Oscar Markus confirmed the discussions. The development instantly sparked speculation Trump could pardon Maxwell if she were to provide evidence that did not implicate the president, who is a former friend of Epstein, and whose presence in the so-called Epstein files has long been rumoured. Trump has come under intense pressure over the Epstein case in the past fortnight, especially from his Make America Great Again base, after the Justice Department and FBI said they would not release any more records from the investigation and the case was effectively closed. Trump's new submarine chief a critic of Australia By Michael Koziol The man leading Donald Trump's push to build more ships and submarines is a critic of Australia who has questioned whether Canberra can be trusted to stick with the AUKUS agreement, and whether it is ready to help the United States take on China. Jerry Hendrix, a retired navy captain who holds a senior role in the president's Office of Management and Budget, said last year that 'the Australians have been noticeably fickle' about AUKUS and queried if the deal had true bipartisan support. Meanwhile, with AUKUS under review by the Pentagon, the heads of a US congressional committee on China have written to the Trump administration to defend the agreement, arguing it would 'dramatically enhance' collective efforts to defend against Beijing's aggression. The letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is the second time in as many months that members of the US Congress from both sides of politics have written to the former Fox News host to defend AUKUS, underlining fears a US review of the pact will recommend major changes. 6.41am What's making news today By Daniel Lo Surdo Hello and welcome to the national news live blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning. Here's what is making news today: The Albanese government will set forth on executing the legislative agenda promised to voters when it introduces draft laws to reduce student debt and reform childcare on Wednesday. It follows a day of first speeches and ceremonial pomp in Parliament House as federal politicians convened in Canberra for the first time since Labor's crushing election victory in May. Albanese is facing one of his first major policy tests after his historic re-election as a business group led by Andrew Forrest's Fortescue has demanded a 75 per cent cut to Australia's emissions, and Labor's hand-picked climate adviser prepares to tell the government what its 2035 target should be. Ozzy Osbourne has died just weeks after his farewell show, aged 76. The death of the Black Sabbath lead singer has prompted an outpouring of grief from the music industry's biggest names, with Osbourne's family saying the musician was 'surrounded by love' at the time of his passing. The Australian sharemarket is set to rise again after Wall Street was on track to edge to another all-time high in late trading. It comes as US President Donald Trump extended his verbal attack on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, who Trump thinks has kept interest rates too high, labelling Powell a 'numbskull' who will be 'out pretty soon'.
