U.S. President Donald Trump reacts at the end of the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 24, 2026. REUTERS KEVIN LAMARQUE
President Donald Trump’s interim AG Todd Blanche appears to have given up the ghost on hiding information that could potentially out cohorts of convicted Jeffrey Epstein.
Reporter Katie Phang recently grabbed a huge win against Blanche and his crusade to keep the Epstein files under wraps. After months of stalling by the Trump administration and ignoring the letter of a new law demanding the release of the sex-trafficker’s files, U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan demanded insight on Trump’s longtime friendship. Sullivan sided with former MS NOW show host Phang in her lawsuit demanding the Trump administration adhere to the Epstein Transparency Act.
Phang predicted on Wednesday that Blanche -- Trump's former personal defense attorney -- would “try to get an appeal” to stall the release of the redacted information, but she acknowledged that this would be “very difficult” because Judge Sullivan already had denied on two occasions Blanche's attempts to get a stay or a delay in having to comply.
But instead, Blanche handed over the unredacted information to Sullivan to review, possibly for release to the public.
Defendant Todd Blanche, in his official capacity as Acting Attorney General of the United States … respectfully submits the Notice of Compliance with the Order of this Court dated July 25, 2026, requiring Defendants submit certain documentation to the Court for in camera review.”
Blanche — and critics on social media — also noted that Blanche submitted hard copy documents to the court’s chambers via hand deliver at 2:28 PM on July 30 — within close proximity to the day’s deadline.”
MS NOW senior legal reporter Lisa Rubin noted on X that of the 10 documents at issue, the DOJ does not identify the redacted information as pertaining to a victim or law enforcement personnel; instead, it says it is just “PII, or personally identifiable information.”
Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein spans decades, with the two meeting in the 1980s at Mar-a-Lago and socializing frequently in New York and Palm Beach. Multiple women have described witnessing Trump and Epstein together at parties and events during the 1990s.
After Epstein's 2008 conviction, Trump publicly distanced himself, claiming he barely knew him.
However, Trump's DOJ has resisted transparency regarding their relationship and potential knowledge of Epstein's crimes. The forced release of Epstein documents could expose communications, financial records, or witness accounts implicating Trump or his associates. Legal experts argue the Epstein Transparency Act mandates public disclosure, and Judge Sullivan's rulings suggest courts will ultimately compel release regardless of administration resistance, potentially revealing uncomfortable details about Trump's decades-long association.