Lawyers plan to use surprise tactic against Trump admin and release Epstein files: report

Lawyers with the liberal watchdog group Democracy Defenders Fund are using a surprise tactic against the Trump administration to compel the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a new report.

Norm Eisen, a former Obama White House ethics chief and DDF co-founder, told The Daily Beast on Monday that the group has already filed a sweeping Freedom of Information Act request. While the Department of Justice probably anticipated that request, Eisen suggested that the government gave DDF an ace to play.

DDF's FOIA request cites a recent Justice Department court filing to release the grand jury tapes from the Epstein files, where the government argued that they should be quickly released because of public interest.

Eisen noted that the government's argument triggered an exception in the FOIA law that allows for the files to be released on an expedited timetable.

He later joined progressive YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen on his show "No Lies" to discuss the tactic.

"The moment the government filed to release the Epstein grand jury material, I took that page and I quote the part where they say this must be released," Eisen said. "Look, the number-two at DOJ is running to interview Ghislaine Maxwell, so don't all Americans have a right to know what's in these files?"

The FOIA request was filed at a time when the Trump administration had sought to distance itself from the Epstein files altogether. However, multiple news outlets have published previously unknown accounts of the ties between Trump and Epstein.

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