Judge Warns Melania Trump’s Lawyers Over Sanctions Push Against Michael Wolff (7/3/26)

Lesley Groff And The Transcript From Her Epstein Related Trip to Congress (Part 2) (7/3/26)

Lesley Groff told the House Oversight Committee that she worked for Jeffrey Epstein from February 2001 until July 2019 as his secretary/administrative assistant, handling scheduling, calls, travel coordination, calendars, and staff logistics. Her central position was that Epstein kept her separated from his criminal life, that she never witnessed abuse, never had a victim disclose abuse to her, and did not knowingly help Epstein or Maxwell commit crimes. She described Epstein as a “master manipulator” who lied to her and kept his “legitimate” world apart from his abuse, while acknowledging that she scheduled massage appointments when Epstein provided names and numbers, sometimes circulated calendars that included those appointments early on, and understood the massages as routine at the time. She said she did not personally meet the massage providers, did not know they were minors or young women, and assumed they were masseuses, even though members pressed her on why an extremely wealthy man would use rotating names and phone numbers instead of a professional massage service. The questioning also focused heavily on Epstein’s network and whether Groff had knowledge of powerful men being provided access to girls or young women through Epstein or Maxwell. Groff repeatedly answered no when asked whether she had arranged massages for prominent figures, knew of sexual activity involving minors or young women, or knew of anyone who knowingly facilitated Epstein’s crimes. She acknowledged scheduling or connecting Epstein with high-profile contacts, including Prince Andrew, Ehud Barak, Larry Summers, George Mitchell, John Kerry, Wesley Clark, Bill Clinton-related circles, and Donald Trump phone calls, but denied arranging Trump travel during her employment and denied knowledge of Trump-related law enforcement communications. She also said she never suspected Epstein or Maxwell of working with any intelligence service. Overall, Groff’s testimony was defensive and narrow: she admitted to being part of the machinery that kept Epstein’s calendar and contacts moving, but insisted she never saw the criminal operation underneath it and never knowingly enabled it. to contact me: bobbycapucci@protonmail.com source:   Lesley-Groff-Transcript.pdf [https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Lesley-Groff-Transcript.pdf]

Judge Warns Melania Trump’s Lawyers Over Sanctions Push Against Michael Wolff (7/3/26)

A Manhattan federal judge warned Melania Trump’s lawyers to be careful as they pursue sanctions against journalist and Trump biographer Michael Wolff, even after the court had already dismissed Wolff’s anti-SLAPP lawsuit against her. Wolff had filed the case after Melania Trump threatened a $1 billion defamation suit over comments he made linking her to Jeffrey Epstein, allegations her side has rejected. Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil previously dismissed Wolff’s lawsuit as an improper attempt to head off a defamation case before it was filed, but when Trump’s lawyers said they still wanted sanctions against Wolff, the judge cautioned that sanctions require more than simply arguing that the lawsuit was weak or wrong. The hearing framed the fight as a continuing legal clash over press speech, defamation threats, and courtroom strategy. Melania Trump’s team argued that Wolff’s lawsuit was frivolous and deserved punishment, while Wolff’s side argued the sanctions push was another escalation meant to intimidate and drain him financially. Vyskocil appeared skeptical of turning the dismissed case into a sanctions battle, noting the high bar for punishment and warning Trump’s attorneys not to overreach. The result is that Melania Trump won the first round by getting Wolff’s case tossed, but the judge signaled that trying to keep the fight alive through sanctions may be a much harder sell. to contact me: bobbycapucci@protonmail.com source: Judge cautions Melania Trump against trying to sanction journalist Michael Wolff | Courthouse News Service [https://courthousenews.com/judge-cautions-melania-trump-against-trying-to-sanction-journalist-michael-wolff/]

DOJ Refuses to Release More Epstein Files After Court Order (7/3/26)

The Department of Justice declined to provide additional unredacted Epstein-related files after U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ordered the department either to turn over more material or explain why it had been withheld. DOJ Associate U.S. Attorney General Stanley Woodward argued that the redactions were lawful and necessary, saying some materials contained sensitive victim information, personally identifiable details, or records that were already properly withheld under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The DOJ also asked Sullivan to either delay the deadline by 60 days or accept the department’s explanation and disregard the production order. The dispute centers on several categories of withheld material, including emails with concealed senders and recipients, a draft 2007 indictment from the Southern District of Florida, and handwritten interview notes involving a woman who made unsubstantiated assault allegations against Donald Trump, which Trump has denied. DOJ claimed some names were redacted to protect victims, said the draft indictment was already redacted in the original file it possessed, and argued that handwritten notes posed a higher risk of accidental disclosure of victim information. Sullivan had previously rejected DOJ’s arguments and found that the Public Interest Project had shown harm from the withheld records, while the DOJ continues to insist it has not violated the law and has complied with its obligations. to contact me: bobbycapucci@protonmail.com source: DOJ declines to turn over additional Epstein files, says redactions were appropriate - ABC News [https://abcnews.com/Politics/doj-declines-turn-additional-epstein-files-redactions/story?id=134430675]

Wyden Presses Oversight Committee to Dig Deeper Into Black’s Epstein Ties (7/3/26)

Senator Ron Wyden is pressing for deeper answers about Leon Black’s financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as congressional scrutiny of Black intensifies. According to the reporting, Wyden’s Senate Finance Committee investigation has focused on why Black transferred an estimated $170 million to Epstein between 2012 and 2017, payments Wyden argues were far larger than what Black paid to established tax and estate-planning professionals already handling his affairs. Wyden has sent his findings to the House Oversight Committee ahead of Black’s congressional appearance, urging investigators to dig harder into financial records, settlement payments, and the movement of money connected to Epstein’s network. The central issue is whether Epstein’s role in Black’s financial life was truly limited to tax and estate advice, as Black has maintained, or whether the money trail points to something broader and more troubling. Wyden has raised questions about whether Epstein acted as an intermediary for payments to women and whether records exist involving settlement agreements. The article also notes Black’s multimillion-dollar settlement with the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which resolved civil claims without Black admitting wrongdoing, as another area now feeding congressional interest. The broader picture is that Black’s Epstein ties are no longer being examined merely as a reputational problem; they are being treated as a financial, legal, and oversight problem that Congress still believes has unanswered questions at its center. to contact me: bobbycapucci@protonmail.com source: Wyden Presses for Answers as Congressional Scrutiny of Leon Black Deepens [https://www.grantspasstribune.com/wyden-presses-for-answers-as-congressional-scrutiny-of-leon-black-deepens/]

Mega Edition: Doug Band Gets Outed By The Epstein Files As One Of The John Does (7/3/26)

Doug Band fits into the Epstein-Maxwell story as a Clinton-world gatekeeper who appears to have had direct contact with both of them during the years when Epstein was still moving freely through elite political, financial, and social circles. Band was not just some distant name on the edge of the orbit; he was one of Bill Clinton’s closest post-presidential aides, involved in the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative, and he accompanied Clinton on multiple trips aboard Epstein’s private plane. House Oversight Chairman James Comer said investigators knew Band helped set up meetings between Clinton and Epstein, flew with Clinton on Epstein’s jet, and had extensive communication with Maxwell. ABC reported that emails between Band and Maxwell, mostly from 2001 to 2004, included discussions of meetings with Epstein along with flirtatious nicknames and suggestive innuendo. Band told lawmakers he did not recall sending individual emails to Maxwell, did not recall conversations with Epstein on the flights, denied any sexual contact with Maxwell, and said he had no evidence that Clinton ever visited Little St. James. The “John Doe” angle matters because Band was reportedly one of the previously unidentified names in the Epstein files whose identity became clear through the release of Justice Department materials. In other words, he moved from being a redacted or obscured figure in the paper trail to being publicly tied to the Epstein-Maxwell communications network. That does not mean Band has been accused of a crime — ABC specifically notes he has not been accused of wrongdoing — but it does place him closer to the machinery around Epstein than a casual bystander. The significance is that Band was positioned between Epstein, Maxwell, and Clinton’s post-presidential operation: he was communicating with Maxwell, connected to meetings, present on flights, and later claimed he tried to insulate Clinton from Maxwell once allegations became known. That combination makes him an important witness because he potentially understood how Epstein and Maxwell gained access, maintained proximity, and used powerful intermediaries to remain embedded in elite circles. to contact me: bobbycapucci@protonmail.com