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Trump denies WSJ report on Epstein birthday letter

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U.S. wants Epstein grand jury transcripts made public

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Trump supporters demand more Epstein documents

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Dow Jones defends accuracy of its reporting

(Adds Dow Jones statement, details about lawsuit and context of

damages, paragraphs 2, 7-15)

By Nandita Bose and Jonathan Stempel

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, July 18 (Reuters) -

U.S. President Donald Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and

its owners including Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion on

Friday, over the newspaper's report that his name was on a 2003

birthday greeting for Jeffrey Epstein that included a sexually

suggestive drawing and a reference to secrets they shared.

The lawsuit filed in Miami federal court names Murdoch, Dow

Jones, News Corp ( NWSA ) and its Chief Executive Robert

Thomson, and two Wall Street Journal reporters as defendants,

saying they defamed Trump and caused him to suffer

"overwhelming" financial and reputational harm.

Epstein, the disgraced financier and sex offender, died by

suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019.

His case has generated conspiracy theories that became

popular among Trump's base of supporters who believed the

government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and

powerful.

Trump has said he parted ways with Epstein before the

financier's legal troubles became public in 2006.

The president has vehemently denied the Journal report,

which Reuters has not verified, and had warned Murdoch that he

planned to sue. Dow Jones, the parent of the newspaper, is a

division of News Corp. ( NWSA )

"We have just filed a POWERHOUSE Lawsuit against everyone

involved in publishing the false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE

NEWS 'article' in the useless 'rag' that is, The Wall Street

Journal," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

"I hope Rupert and his 'friends' are looking forward to

the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to

provide in this case," Trump added.

A spokesperson for Dow Jones said in a statement: "We

have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting,

and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."

The lawsuit called Trump's alleged birthday greeting

"fake," and said the Journal published its article to harm

Trump's reputation.

"Tellingly, the Article does not explain whether

Defendants have obtained a copy of the letter, have seen it,

have had it described to them, or any other circumstances that

would otherwise lend credibility to the Article," the lawsuit

said.

To prevail on his defamation claims, Trump must show the

defendants acted with "actual malice," meaning they knew the

article was false or acted with reckless disregard for its

truth.

A $10 billion award would far exceed the largest

defamation judgments and settlements in recent history.

These include a $1.5 billion judgment against conspiracy

theorist Alex Jones, and Fox News' settlement with Dominion

Voting Systems for $787.5 million.

"Ten billion dollars is a ridiculously high number,"

said Jesse Gessin, a lawyer with experience in defamation and

First Amendment litigation. "It would be the largest defamation

verdict in U.S. history."

WHITE HOUSE ROILED

The Epstein affair has increasingly disquieted the White

House, after the Justice Department this month concluded that

there was no evidence to support long-held conspiracy theories

about his clients and death.

Some of Trump's most loyal followers became furious

after his administration reversed course on its promise to

release files on Epstein.

A Justice Department memo released on July 7 concluded that

Epstein killed himself and said there was "no incriminating

client list" or evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent

people.

With pressure to release the Epstein files building, Trump

on Thursday said he directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to ask a

court to release grand jury testimony about Epstein.

The U.S. government on Friday filed a motion in Manhattan

federal court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the cases of

Epstein and former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

She was convicted in 2021 of five federal charges related to

her role in Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls. Maxwell is

appealing her conviction and 20-year prison sentence to the U.S.

Supreme Court.

"Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens

remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein

matter," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the

filing. "After all, Jeffrey Epstein is the most infamous

pedophile in American history."

Blanche said prosecutors would work to redact all

victim-identifying information before making anything public.

The release of the grand jury documents may fall short of

what many of Trump's supporters have sought, including case

files held by the administration, and a judge may reject the

administration's request to make the transcripts public.

BAWDY LETTER

The Journal said the letter bearing Trump's name was part of

a leather-bound birthday book for Epstein that included messages

from other high-profile people.

It also said the letter contained several lines of

typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which

appeared to be hand-drawn with a heavy marker.

The newspaper said the letter concluded "Happy Birthday -

and may every day be another wonderful secret," and featured the

signature "Donald."

Allegations that Epstein sexually abused girls became public

in 2006, after the birthday book was allegedly produced, and he

was arrested that year before accepting a plea deal.

Epstein died just over a month after he was arrested for a

second time and charged with sex-trafficking conspiracy.

Trump was photographed with Epstein multiple times in social

situations in the 1990s and early 2000s, and had been a neighbor

of Epstein's in Florida.

He was quoted in 2002 in New York magazine as saying, "I've

known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He's a lot of fun to be

with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I

do, and many of them are on the younger side."

In 2019, Trump told reporters that he and Epstein had a

"falling out" before the financier was first arrested.

Trump said he "knew him like everybody in Palm Beach

knew him" but that "I had a falling out with him. I haven't

spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can

tell you."