Trump Faces 2 July Deadline After Judge Orders Release of Remaining FBI Files Linked to 13-Year-Old Accuser Case

A federal judge has ordered the US Justice Department to either release or explain why it continues to withhold FBI documents linked to allegations made by a woman who claimed that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump when she was 13 years old.

The ruling, issued by US District Judge Emmet Sullivan, gives the government until 2 July to comply and marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over the release of millions of pages of Epstein-related records. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations, while the White House has insisted that previous investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Judge Orders Justice Department To Release Missing Files

The legal dispute centres on documents connected to a South Carolina woman who alleged that Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Trump in 1984, when she was approximately 13 years old.

US District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled that the Justice Department must either release unredacted versions of the remaining FBI files related to the woman's allegations or provide a legal justification for continuing to withhold them. The judge ordered acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to comply by 2 July.

The decision came after investigative journalist Katie Phang filed a lawsuit accusing the Justice Department of failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation intended to increase public access to records related to Epstein's criminal activities and associates.

In a 48-page opinion, Sullivan concluded that Phang had standing to challenge the government's actions and rejected the Justice Department's argument that a standard Freedom of Information Act request was the appropriate avenue for obtaining the records.

The judge also ordered the department to produce a detailed log explaining every redaction made in the Epstein files released thus far.

FBI Interviews Included Allegations Against Trump

The controversy revolves around FBI interviews conducted in 2019 with a woman who alleged she was abused by Epstein as a child and later introduced to Trump.

According to previously released and heavily redacted FBI summaries, the woman claimed Epstein took her to a large building in either New York or New Jersey in 1984, where she allegedly encountered Trump.

The woman alleged that Trump ordered others to leave the room before forcing her to perform a sexual act. She further claimed that she resisted and that the encounter turned violent.

The FBI reportedly interviewed the woman multiple times following Epstein's arrest on federal child sex trafficking charges in 2019.

While portions of those interviews were released earlier this year as part of the Justice Department's broader Epstein document release, reports indicate that dozens of pages connected to the interviews remain unpublished.

Importantly, independent investigations have not corroborated the woman's allegations against Trump. Reporting by The Post and Courier previously stated that it was unable to verify her claims involving Trump, Epstein or another man she accused.

Katie Phang's Lawsuit Challenged The Epstein File Releases

Phang's lawsuit alleged that the Justice Department violated transparency requirements by releasing only portions of the Epstein archive while heavily redacting many of the documents that were made public.

The Justice Department has released roughly half of the estimated six million pages collected during investigations into Epstein and his associates. However, critics have argued that many of the released records contain substantial redactions and omissions.

Government attorneys had argued that Phang lacked the legal authority to force additional disclosures and should instead pursue the documents through traditional public records requests.

Judge Sullivan rejected that argument, ruling that existing public records laws did not provide an adequate remedy under the specific transparency provisions governing the Epstein files.

Trump And The White House Continue To Reject The Allegations

In previous statements, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the accusations as 'completely baseless' and argued that the Justice Department under President Joe Biden had investigated the claims for years without taking action.

'The total baselessness of these accusations is supported by the fact that the Biden Justice Department knew about them for four years and did nothing because they knew President Trump did absolutely nothing wrong,' Leavitt previously said.

The White House and Justice Department did not immediately comment following Judge Sullivan's latest ruling.

The approaching 2 July deadline now places renewed attention on one of the most controversial and politically sensitive portions of the sprawling Epstein document archive. Whether the Justice Department releases the remaining records or seeks to justify their continued secrecy, the decision is likely to intensify scrutiny surrounding both the Epstein files and the government's handling of them.