Wall Street Journal Publishes 2003 Epstein Letter to Trump; Trump Sues for $10 Billion

President Trump has refiled a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, regarding the outlet’s July 2025 article that referenced a 2003 letter addressed to Jeffrey Epstein on his 50th birthday.

The refiled complaint, submitted on the May 27 deadline, is seven pages longer than the initial version dismissed by the court. That earlier dismissal found the complaint did not meet the actual-malice standard required for public figures in defamation cases.

The revised complaint names reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joe Palazzolo, Dow Jones, and News Corp. ” According to the filing, Trump has “vehemently denied” writing the letter. The complaint states that only two surviving individuals could confirm whether the letter existed and notes that Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell told federal officials she had no knowledge of the document.

The Wall Street Journal’s original report said Trump denied both writing the letter and drawing an image contained in it. The refiled suit claims the defendants either knowingly published false information or intentionally avoided evidence that contradicted the story. It asserts the article caused significant financial and reputational harm.

A Dow Jones spokesperson declined to comment on the refiled suit. ” Court records from the prior proceeding show the newspaper sought comment from Trump, the Justice Department, and the FBI before publication. Trump denied writing the letter, the Justice Department did not respond, and the FBI declined to comment.

The court observed that the article included Trump’s denial.