The Justice Department said unsealing grand jury transcripts related to Epstein's case is necessary given "longstanding and legitimate" public interest in the case.

A sudden resurgence of interest in the late convicted sex offender, and unanswered questions about his crimes, has been measurable this month in book sales, Netflix streams and YouTube searches.

In the swirl of money and suntanned women that was their Palm Beach-and-Manhattan set, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein spent nearly 15 years mingling side by side as public friends.