The New York Times published an August report following earlier Wall Street Journal stories that added unprecedented details about Jeffrey Epstein. The Times described a Justice Department official's visit with Ghislaine Maxwell but did not identify Todd Blanche or state his title. The White House pledged to release details about federal investigations into Epstein and associates but then backpedaled, triggering right-wing outrage and political pressure on President Trump. The Justice Department dispatched a top official to meet Maxwell, who was later moved to a lower-security facility. The Times provided no source attribution for photos from Epstein's brownstone, and a reporter cited source protection when declining to elaborate on sourcing.
The ensuing right-wing outrage has threatened to splinter the Make America Great Again movement - for whom Mr. Epstein is a central figure in conspiracy theories - and has put Mr. Trump on the defensive like few other issues. Seeking to quell the backlash, the Justice Department dispatched a top official to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Mr. Epstein's longtime associate who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking. On Friday, Ms. Maxwell was moved to a lower-security facility.
The refusal to provide any hints as to source carried over to the response that lead reporter David Enrich gave to a question about sourcing: These are good questions, but I'm afraid there's not a whole lot I can say because of the need to protect sources who provide us with information. The one thing I feel comfortable sharing is that we published this information as soon as we were able. This is not something we've been sitting on.
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