Lawsuit seeks justice department and FBI communications about Epstein investigation

Source: The Guardian

Fri 8 Aug 2025 10.45 EDT
First published on Fri 8 Aug 2025 09.34 EDT


An advocacy group sued the US justice department and the FBI on Friday for records detailing their handling of the sex-trafficking investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The legal organization Democracy Forward is seeking records related to senior administration officials’ communication about Epstein documents and any regarding correspondence between Epstein and Donald Trump.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington DC appears to be the first of its kind. The group says it submitted requests under the Freedom of Information Act (Foia) for the records related to communications about the case in late July that have not yet been fulfilled.

“The court should intervene urgently to ensure the public has access to the information they need about this extraordinary situation,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of the Democratic-aligned group, in a statement. The federal government often shields records related to criminal investigations from public view. The justice department did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Democracy Forward has filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump’s Republican administration, challenging a wide range of its policies and the president’s executive orders. The case has been subject to heightened public focus since the justice department said last month it would not release additional documents from the case.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/08/jd-vance-reportedly-hosted-white-house-meeting-to-discuss-strategy-around-epstein-files