US Justice Dept Releases Over Three Million Pages of Jeffrey Epstein Files Amidst Controversy

The US Justice Department announced Friday that it was releasing over three million pages from the Jeffrey Epstein files, along with photos and videos. This move added fuel to a political drama, putting pressure on President Donald Trump.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that all images of women were redacted from the documents being released aside from those of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was Epstein’s accomplice in his sex trafficking crimes.

The latest release is anticipated to include previously unseen material from the investigation into Epstein, a wealthy financier convicted of sex trafficking underage girls. Previous releases have revealed connections between Epstein and leading figures in business, entertainment, academia, and politics, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

Perhaps the most significant documents published thus far are two FBI emails from July 2019 that mention ten “co-conspirators” of Epstein. Only Maxwell has been charged criminally with Epstein’s crimes; the names of these alleged co-conspirators remain redacted in the emails.

Maxwell, who served a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls for Epstein, had Epstein’s death ruled a suicide.

Trump, once close to Epstein, and Clinton both appear prominently in the records released so far. Neither has been accused by officials of wrongdoing, though Trump continues to fight against the release of these documents.

A Republican-led House panel voted to launch contempt of Congress proceedings against Bill and Hillary Clinton over their refusal to testify before its probe into Epstein. Trump, 79 years old, had fought for months to prevent the release of the vast trove of documents about Epstein. However, a rebellion within his party forced him to sign off on a law mandating the release of all documents by December 19.

The Justice Department, under pressure from this deadline and needing to painstakingly redact the identities of over 1,000 victims from the files, delayed releasing many important records. Some major documents yet to be released include a draft 60-count federal indictment that was unexpectedly dropped, and an 82-page prosecution memo from 2007.

Trump has expressed concern about potential smear campaigns affecting people who “innocently met” Epstein over the years. A spokesman for Clinton urged the Justice Department to release all materials related to him, stating that he had nothing to hide and questioning what or whom might be protected by withholding evidence.

The sweeping redactions in many documents, combined with tight control over the release under Trump’s administration, have stoked skepticism about a high-level cover-up. As soon as the president’s name began appearing in released files, the Justice Department issued a statement denouncing some “untrue and sensationalist claims” against him. Yet, already published documents confirm that Trump was once close to Epstein, moving in similar social circles in New York and Florida.

A January 2020 note from New York federal prosecutors revealed that Trump made eight trips on Epstein’s private plane between 1993 and 1996. The release of these files has reignited debates about whether a cover-up is underway, with some suggesting Clinton may be protected by those pushing for the documents’ withholding.