The Justice Department said unsealing grand jury transcripts related to Epstein's case is necessary given "longstanding and legitimate" public interest in the case.

The records are at the center of President Trump’s effort to manage fallout from the Epstein case. But unsealing them is complex and requires a judge to sign off.

The Trump administration’s chaotic handling of the so-called Jeffrey Epstein files continued Friday as the Justice Department asked a federal judge to make public years-old grand jury testimony made behind closed doors against the convicted sex offender.

President Donald Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to work on releasing grand jury transcripts about Jeffrey Epstein in response to criticism over the handling of the case.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department asked a federal court on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein’s case amid a firestorm over the Trump administration’s handling of records related to the wealthy financier.

Their actions range from pressuring the administration to release more information to spinning additional conspiracy theories about the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender.

The Department of Justice and FBI's memo on the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein has reignited criticism from some of President Donald Trump's supporters over information released in the case involving one of the most infamous sex trafficking criminals in modern history.

"The president would not recommend a special prosecutor in the Epstein case," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said July 17.

Senator Ron Wyden has found that four banks waited until Mr. Epstein’s arrest on federal charges to flag $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions. Mr. Wyden wants the documents made public.