Overview

• On July 28, Democracy Defenders Fund submitted FOIA requests for all DOJ and FBI communications detailing how references to President Trump or Mar-a-Lago were flagged, categorized or memorialized in Epstein files.
• The group invoked an expedited processing exception by quoting the Justice Department’s own statement that the Epstein grand jury tapes “must be released” due to public interest.
• Norm Eisen, a DDF co-founder, revealed on July 29 that the request leverages the DOJ court filing to push for quicker disclosure under FOIA rules.
• Senator Dick Durbin had earlier accused Attorney General Pam Bondi of directing agents and analysts to flag Epstein records mentioning Trump, intensifying claims of political interference.
• Courts continue to block broader access to grand jury materials in the Epstein case as DDF awaits a response from the Justice Department on its internal communications request.