EXCLUSIVE: Judge Orders Trump DOJ to Fast-Track Epstein Files Mentioning Prez and Mar-a-Lago
A judge has ordered the DOJ to fast-track Epstein records mentioning Donald Trump and Mar-a-Lago.
Oct. 1 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
The Justice Department has been ordered to fast-track its handling of explosive records requests seeking Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigative files that mention President Trump and Mar-a-Lago, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
According to court documents obtained by Radar, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly handed the Democracy Defenders Fund a major victory on September 30, ruling its requests involve "widespread and exceptional media interest" and possible questions about the government's integrity that affect public confidence.
How Trump Mentions Were 'Flagged'
The records request seeks Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell files mentioning Trump, Mar-a-Lago or code names used to refer to them.
The ruling does not require the DOJ to immediately turn over every document sought. Instead, it means the department must give qualifying portions of the group's Freedom of Information Act requests expedited treatment rather than processing them at the ordinary pace.
At the center of the fight is a July 2025 request seeking records from the DOJ's investigations of Epstein and Maxwell that mention "Donald J. Trump," "Donald Trump," "President Trump," Mar-a-Lago, or even code names and pseudonyms used to refer to Trump or his Florida property.
The judge ruled the entirety of that request qualifies for expedited processing. The watchdog also sought a much broader collection of communications surrounding the government's handling of the Epstein files.
Top Officials Under the Microscope
The requests seek communications involving senior officials including FBI Director Kash Patel.
Those requests targeted communications involving high-ranking officials, including Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, former DOJ official Emil Bove, FBI Director Kash Patel, and former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
The records sought include emails, direct messages, meeting materials, memos, presentations, and other communications referring to Epstein or Maxwell.
One particularly notable request seeks communications explaining how department officials were supposed to handle references to Trump or Mar-a-Lago appearing in Epstein or Maxwell files. That includes records describing how officials should "flag, categorize, or memorialize" mentions of Trump.
Pam Bondi 'Pressured' FBI to Flag Trump Mentions
Pam Bondi is among the senior officials whose Epstein-related communications were targeted in the records requests.
The court opinion also recounts reporting cited in the case alleging Bondi "pressured" approximately 1,000 FBI personnel working in 24-hour shifts to review an estimated 100,000 Epstein-related records and flag records mentioning Trump.
The opinion does not independently find that allegation to be true. Rather, the judge considered that reporting while determining whether the requests raised possible questions about government integrity and public confidence.
The watchdog didn't get everything it wanted. DOJ argued portions of the July 28 requests were too broad because they sought records involving virtually "any" DOJ official.
DOJ Put On The Clock
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Trump is now front and center in the fast-moving Epstein files battle.
Kollar-Kotelly agreed in part, limiting those portions to the specifically named senior officials. But she ruled that the bulk of the July 28 requests still qualified for expedited processing.
The judge also rejected a separate argument that DDF qualified for fast-tracking under FOIA's statutory "compelling need" provision, finding the organization had not established that its primary function was disseminating information.
Still, the bottom line on the records at the center of the dispute was clear: the entire July 22 request and most of the July 28 requests must now receive expedited processing.
