So far, Tr*mp has been able to escape any direct litigation relating to his numerous Epstein file allegations. Thanks to journalist Katie Phang’s lawsuit, however, his time might be running out.
Yesterday, a major break emerged in the case when a judge decided that Todd Blanche and Tr*mp’s DOJ did not provide a suitable reason for redacting the files to protect the rich and powerful, rather than Epstein’s actual victims.
It’s bad news for Blanche, whose threatened AG confirmation is already teetering on the brink. But it’s even worse news for Tr*mp. Because the court also summoned the ghost of an old Tr*mp scandal: it ruled that the government failed to provide a reason why the FBI notes concerning an alleged underage Tr*mp victim were left out of the files.
How about we take this to the next level?
Subscribe to our newsletter for a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Brandan Ballou, the founder of the Public Integrity Project, clued us into this intriguing development on TikTok yesterday, adding a bit of context about the case. In the early stages of a case like this, Ballou says, the first step is for the defendant—Tr*mp’s DOJ—to deny or admit to the allegations. “They just have straight up failed to do that,” Ballou explains. “That’s pretty embarrassing for the government.”
It’s even worse for Tr*mp, who keeps hoping that by ignoring the press around his own Epstein files allegations, they’ll simply go away. That has not been the case with a credible story about Tr*mp allegedly being introduced by Epstein to a girl between 13 and 15 years old
The story has been widely reported on and splashed across cities in defiance of the DOJ’s silence surrounding the cover-up. Two months ago, “I’ve Had It” podcaster Jennifer Welch reminded listeners of the seriousness of the implications. “There is credible information in the Epstein files by a 13-year-old girl,” she told listeners in early June. “She claims under oath that she was assaulted by the sitting president.”
In late June, a DC judge working on Phang’s case agreed that Tr*mp’s DOJ has not complied with the tenets of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The judge demanded that Blanche and his team provide reasons for why they made the redactions and straight up omissions in the files, including “at least eight email exchanges with Mr. Epstein regarding a ‘torture video’ and sexual activity with young women, including minors.”
As of yesterday, they have failed to do so.
All of this means that Phang’s case is on strong ground. But we also know that Tr*mp and his team are not above breaking the law to keep their reputations safe. Currently, Tr*mp is playing a similar game with the BBC, another body trying to get their hands on documents Tr*mp legally owes them. Much like with the Phang case, Tr*mp’s lawyers are trying to get around the order—with little success.
We know that Tr*mp is well adept at weaseling his way out of trouble, especially from his current vaunted office. But with multiple lawsuits closing in on him and Republicans distancing themselves from him in favor of a “post-Tr*mp” future, his decades-long lucky streak could finally be running out.
Related
Pete Buttigieg shuts down pundit who tried to get him to bad-mouth Kamala Harris
Pete Buttigieg shuts down pundit who tried to get him to bad-mouth Kamala Harris
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
