NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking for the U.S. government to release its files. Jeffrey Epstein.
After months of resentment and blame, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the bill It forces the Justice Department to release all information about Epstein to the public, which must be done by Christmas.
But for the curious and conspiracy-minded, even that may not be enough.
The thousands of pages of material that could be released are certain to include never-before-seen material, but much of the Epstein-related records have already been made public through Congress and lawsuits.
and don’t expect Celebrity “client list” Someone who had a big fuss with Epstein. Although such a list has long been rumored, the Department of Justice announced in July that no such list exists.
Here, we’ll introduce what’s scheduled to be released and what’s not, and review how we got here.
Who is Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was a billionaire wealth manager known for his interactions with celebrities, politicians, billionaires, and the academic elite accused of sexually abusing underage girls.
Trump’s relationships with powerful people, including former President Bill Clinton and former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, are the subject of endless fascination and speculation. Neither Trump nor Clinton have been accused of wrongdoing. Andrew denies abusing anyone.
Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 over allegations that he paid a 14-year-old girl for sex. The FBI later joined the investigation, but Epstein secret deal She cooperated with federal prosecutors in Florida to avoid federal charges and was able to plead guilty to relatively minor state-level prostitution charges in 2008. He served 13 months in a prison release program.
In 2019, during the first term of the Trump administration, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking for sexually abusing dozens of girls. he committed suicide in prison 1 month since the arrest.
In 2021, a federal jury in Manhattan found Epstein’s longtime best friend and ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, guilty of sex trafficking for helping recruit underage victims. she Serving a 20 year prison sentence.
What’s in the Justice Department’s Epstein files?
Records related to the aborted Florida investigation, the Manhattan investigation, and everything else the Justice Department did in between to investigate Epstein’s dealings.
They may include notes and reports written by FBI agents. Recording witness interviews, photographs, videos, and other evidence. Epstein’s autopsy report. This includes materials that may already be publicly available, such as flight records and travel records.
The law, known as the Epstein File Transparency Act, requires the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents and investigative materials, including files related to immunity agreements and internal communications about who to charge or investigate.
What is not allowed to be published by law?
Those containing the victim’s personal information.
The law allows the Justice Department to withhold or redact records that would be a “clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” if released. It is also prohibited to publish any material depicting child sexual abuse, or images of death, physical abuse, or injury.
That means if there are videos or photos of Epstein or anyone else sexually abusing underage girls, they can’t be made public.
However, the law also makes clear that records may not be concealed or edited (meaning blacking out certain parts) simply because publication would cause embarrassment or defamation to a public figure, government official, or foreign official.
When will my file be published?
The bill would require the Department of Justice to release documents in searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of President Trump signing the bill. That means no later than December 19th.
But the law also allows the Justice Department to withhold files it says could jeopardize an active federal investigation. That has also been the Department of Justice’s long-standing policy. Files may also be withheld if they are found to be classified or related to national defense or foreign policy.
Although the investigations into Mr. Epstein and Mr. Maxwell are long gone, Attorney General Pam Bondi last week ordered top federal prosecutors to lead investigations into people who know Mr. Epstein and some of Mr. Trump’s political opponents, including Mr. Clinton.
The investigation, launched at President Trump’s request even though the Justice Department has so far found no evidence to support such an investigation, could give the government grounds to temporarily withhold at least some materials.
What about the so-called customer list?
Epstein’s so-called “client list” (described as a collection of his famous associates) was a beluga of Epstein’s detectives, skeptics, and conspiracy theorists alike.
Bondi joined in, telling Fox News in February that a “client list” was “on my desk right now for consideration.”
The only problem was that the Justice Department concluded there was no “client list” and issued a letter in July saying that after reviewing Epstein-related records, there was no incriminating “client list.” There was also no credible evidence that Epstein “blackmailed public figures as part of his actions,” the unsigned memo said.
Why are these records being released now?
Congress is pressing the government to act after President Trump released the files, contrary to his campaign promise last year. The Justice Department released some records earlier this year, nearly all of which had already been made public, but abruptly slammed the brakes in July after promising a “truckload” of increases.
In response, a small bipartisan group of House members launched what was initially seen as a long-term goal to force their release through legislation. Meanwhile, lawmakers began disclosing documents they received from Epstein’s estate, culminating in the release of 23,000 pages of documents last week.
Amid growing public and political pressure from some Trump allies, Congress quickly passed the Epstein File Transparency Act on Tuesday, and President Trump signed it into law on Wednesday.
Maybe some of the Epstein files have already been made public?
yes. Tens of thousands of pages of records were released over the years through civil lawsuits, Epstein and Maxwell’s public criminal docket, Freedom of Information, and Freedom of Information Act requests before Congress got involved.
Many documents are already available, including police reports written in Florida, state grand jury records, depositions of Epstein’s employees, flight records and address books. In July, the Justice Department released prison surveillance video from the night Epstein died.
Even the FBI has previously released several files related to Epstein, posting more than 1,400 pages on its website, but much of the content was redacted and some was sealed.
