It’s being reported that the White House and DOJ are debating on whether to release a transcript of last month’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell.
The interview was apparently recorded, and some officials want to release a transcript of the recording, with proper redactions, to regain control of the Epstein narrative.
Others worry this will bring the issue back to the surface.
Here’s more from CNN:
The Justice Department has an audio recording of the interview it conducted with Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell last month, and the administration is considering releasing a transcript of the interview publicly, three senior administration officials told CNN.
The existence of the recording has not been previously reported and comes at a time when the Trump administration is facing pressure to be more transparent with the information it has related to Epstein.
Administration officials are currently discussing whether to release the transcript of Maxwell’s interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the three senior administration officials told CNN.
The administration has been transcribing and digitizing the recording. Portions of the transcript that could reveal sensitive details like victim names would also have to be redacted, one of the officials said.
As of Tuesday morning, the discussions over potential publication of the transcripts and the audio were ongoing.
“A final decision has not been made,” one of the officials said.
Another official told CNN that, within the White House, some of the conversation has focused on whether making the details from the interview public would bring the Epstein controversy back to the surface at a time when many officials close to President Donald Trump believe the story has largely died down.
However, the officials, many of whom have been frustrated with the rollout of the information regarding the Epstein case, have been eager to take control of the narrative and optics around the issue.
Two of the administration officials said if they were to release the audio and transcript, it would likely be done sooner rather than later. One said the release could be several weeks from now, depending on what the most senior-level officials within the West Wing and Justice Department decide. It was not immediately clear whether the White House and DOJ were aligned on the issue.
“This is nothing more than CNN trying desperately to create news out of old news. [Trump] already addressed this issue in an interview with Newsmax, a real news outlet that routinely gets better ratings than CNN,” White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told CNN.
CNN has reached out to the Justice Department. A lawyer for Maxwell declined to comment.
They absolutely should record it. Get rid of the names of victims, but release the transcript. It is the only way to get past the issue with supporters. Plus, we have a right to know who went to Epstein’s pedo island.