Trump Administration Now Asks Judge To Keep Two Names Private in The Epstein Files • Franknez.com

On September 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), under President Donald Trump’s administration, asked a federal judge to withhold the names of two individuals who received large payments from Jeffrey Epstein in 2018, intensifying accusations of a cover-up tied to the disgraced financier’s investigative files.

NBC News reported that the DOJ’s filing, part of ongoing litigation over Epstein’s case, cited potential evidence of “efforts to influence witnesses” as the reason to keep the identities secret.

The move comes as Trump faces mounting pressure from both supporters and critics to release the full Epstein files, with his name appearing multiple times in the documents, according to prior reports.

The controversy, coupled with bipartisan demands for transparency and economic challenges, threatens to deepen the political crisis engulfing Trump’s presidency as the 2026 midterms approach.

Details of the DOJ’s Request

Pam Bondi Now Reportedly Under Fire Amid Epstein Scandal

The DOJ’s filing, submitted on September 5, 2025, to a federal judge overseeing Epstein’s case, seeks to block NBC News’ request to unseal the names of two associates who received payments of $100,000 and $250,000 from Epstein in 2018, days after the Miami Herald published investigative stories exposing his lenient 2008 plea deal.

Federal prosecutors argued in a 2019 memorandum that these payments, made after Epstein’s indictment, could indicate attempts to tamper with witnesses, justifying their continued secrecy, per Raw Story.

The DOJ’s stance follows a pattern of resistance to releasing Epstein-related documents, despite Trump’s 2024 campaign promise to declassify the files.

A July 7, 2025, DOJ and FBI memo stated no “client list” exists and confirmed Epstein’s 2019 death as a suicide, frustrating supporters who expected explosive revelations.

On July 23, The Wall Street Journal reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump in May that his name appeared multiple times in the files, alongside other high-profile figures, though being named is not evidence of wrongdoing.

Trump denied the claim, calling it “fake news” and alleging the files were fabricated by Democratic administrations, per CNBC.

Bipartisan Push for Transparency

MTG Now Slams GOP Leadership For Keeping Epstein Files Private

The House Oversight Committee, led by bipartisan efforts, voted 8-2 on August 5 to subpoena the DOJ for Epstein-Maxwell materials, with three Republicans—Nancy Mace, Scott Perry, and Brian Jack—joining Democrats.

The committee also subpoenaed Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted associate, for a deposition on August 11 at her Florida prison.

Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, was interviewed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July, raising concerns about potential deals.

Former prosecutor Joyce Vance criticized the DOJ’s secrecy, stating, “People who fight this hard to hide something have something to hide.”

Epstein survivors, including Haley Robson, held a September 3 Capitol Hill press conference with Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), demanding the release of the files.

Robson, a registered Republican, rejected Trump’s claim that the issue is a “Democrat hoax,” saying, “The abuse was real.”

A discharge petition for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, needing just two more signatures, aims to force a House vote, as earlier reported by FrankNez Media.

Trump’s Ties to Epstein

Trump and Epstein were friends from the 1980s to the early 2000s, with Trump calling Epstein a “terrific guy” in a 2002 New York Magazine interview and flying on his private jet seven times between 1993 and 1997.

Trump later claimed he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago in 2007 for harassing a member’s teenage daughter.

A 2003 birthday letter from Trump to Epstein, described as “bawdy” with a hand-drawn naked woman, has drawn scrutiny, though Trump denies its authenticity and sued The Wall Street Journal for $10 billion.

Maria Farmer, a former Epstein employee, told The New York Times she reported a troubling 1996 encounter with Trump and Epstein to the FBI in 1996 and 2006, alleging sexual assault by Epstein and Maxwell, though she had no evidence of criminality by Trump.

Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing in the Epstein case, but his administration’s handling of the files has fueled conspiracy theories among supporters, with 83% of Republicans favoring release, per The New York Times.

The DOJ’s secrecy, criticized by figures like Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who alleged protection of ‘pedophile’ GOP donors like John Paulson, risks further eroding public trust.

The DOJ’s request to keep names secret, combined with judicial rejections of its motions to unseal grand jury transcripts, has drawn accusations of a deliberate cover-up, with legal experts like Andrew Weissmann noting Trump’s behavior suggests “there’s a there there.”

As the 2026 midterms near, the Epstein files remain a political flashpoint, with bipartisan pressure and MAGA discontent potentially fracturing Trump’s base and shaping the GOP’s future.

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