Trump DOJ rebukes reporter challenging release of disputed Epstein letter

WASHINGTON, DC: The US Department of Justice publicly rebuked a congressional reporter this week after he questioned why the department released a letter tied to Jeffrey Epstein that the FBI deemed fake.

The exchange unfolded on social media as the DOJ continues to publish large volumes of Epstein-related records under a newly enacted transparency law.

Officials say that the disclosures are legally required, even when documents contain unverified or false information. 

DOJ defends release of disputed Epstein Letter 

The dispute began when journalist Jamie Dupree questioned why the Justice Department would make public a letter purportedly sent by Jeffrey Epstein to convicted offender Larry Nassar if the FBI had determined the document was not authentic.

"Okay. So then why would DOJ publicly release something that’s fake? Your answers please,” Dupree wrote on X. 

The Justice Department's official account responded sharply, stating, “Because the law requires us to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein in our possession so that’s what we are doing, you dope, are you suggesting we break the law?"

Dupree, a longtime Washington Correspondent now publishing independently, had raised the question after the DOJ confirmed the FBI had labeled the letter "FAKE."

According to the department, several inconsistencies led to that conclusion, including that the letter was postmarked days after Epstein's death in 2019, originated in Virginia despite Epstein being incarcerated in New York, and featured handwriting that did not match known samples.

The letter gained attention after allegedly referencing President Donald Trump, though Trump was not mentioned by name. 

Epstein files rollout sparks controversy 

The exchange comes as the DOJ released tens of thousands of pages related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell in response to the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act', signed into law in November.

The department has warned that some documents include false or unverified allegations involving President Trump that the FBI received ahead of the 2020 election. 

"To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already," the DOJ wrote on social media, adding that the materials were published due to the department's "commitment to the law and transparency."

Among the documents is a January 2020 email from an unnamed federal prosecutor alleging that Trump flew on Epstein's private jet multiple times in the 1990s. 

Trump has said that he severed ties with Epstein long before any charges were filed.