WASHINGTON (AP) — A legal organization challenging President Donald Trump’s administration on multiple fronts filed a new lawsuit on Friday seeking the release of records detailing the handling of the sex trafficking investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.
The group Democracy Forward sued the Justice Department and the FBI for senior administration officials’ communication about Epstein documents and any regarding correspondence between him and Trump.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, appears to the be first of its kind. The group says it submitted requests under the Freedom of Information Act for the records related to communications about the case in late July that have not yet been fulfilled.
“The court should intervene urgently to ensure the public has access to the information they need about this extraordinary situation,” said Skye Perryman, the president and CEO of the Democratic-aligned group, in a statement. The federal government often shields records related to criminal investigations from public view.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.