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The US Justice Department published thousands of files related to this on Friday Jeffrey EpsteinA long-awaited release that will reveal new details about the late sex offender and his connections to powerful people.
But soon after release it became clear that it would fall far short of those expectations. partial release angered democrat Who accused the Trump administration of trying to hide information. The Justice Department said it would continue to release documents in the coming weeks.
The file dump – dominated by photographs, but also including call logs, court records and other documents, many with redactions – comes after politicians and the public launched a massive campaign for transparency about the government’s investigation into the wealthy financier.
President Donald Trump, who was a friend of Epstein for years before the two fell out, tried for months to keep the records sealed. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, he has argued that there is nothing to see in the files and that the public should focus on other issues.
On November 19, bowing to political pressure from his fellow Republicans, he signed a bill releasing most of the Justice Department’s files on Epstein within 30 days. white House Said the release of the files on Friday shows how the administration is “the most transparent in history”.
Here are some things to know about the Justice Department’s initial Epstein file release:
Contains thousands of photos, but fewer files than expected
The law, signed by Trump last month, set Friday as a deadline for the Justice Department to release most of its files on Epstein.
Ahead of the release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch told Fox News that he expected several million files to be released on Friday, with several million more expected later.
But the number of files actually arriving on the Justice Department’s website appears to be a small fraction of the expected total. Blanche admitted in a letter Congress That the production of files was incomplete. The department said it expected to complete the production of the Epstein documents by the end of the year.
The documents made public include approximately 4,000 files – mostly photographs – under a subset the Justice Department described as “DOJ disclosures.” Most of the photos were taken by the FBI during searches of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the US Virgin Islands.
It also included images of envelopes, folders and boxes containing investigative material related to various investigations related to Epstein. Many records have been redacted and anything containing personally identifiable victim information, including materials depicting sexual and physical abuse, are not authorized for release.
Several other files released Friday by the Justice Department include court records, public records and disclosures from House committees. After years of court action and investigation, at least some of that material has already circulated in the public domain.
Several photos show former President Bill Clinton
Many of the most popular photos in the files feature the former Democratic president. Clinton has acknowledged that she traveled on Epstein’s private jet but said through a spokeswoman that she had no knowledge of the late financier’s crimes.
Some photos show Clinton in a private plane, with a woman sitting on his lap. His face has been removed from the photo.
Another photo shows him in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite who has been convicted of luring Epstein to young girls so he could molest them, and with another man whose face has been blackened. One shows him with the late pop star Michael Jackson, singer Diana Ross and a woman whose face has been blackened.
And another shows Clinton in a hot tub with a woman whose face has been painted red. The Justice Department did not say how those photos were related to the criminal investigation.
Nevertheless, senior White House aides immediately turned their attention to Axe.
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt wrote, “Oh my!” and added a surprised face emoji in response to a photo of Clinton in a hot tub.
Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Urena said in an ex-post that “this is not about Bill Clinton” and accused the White House of trying to protect others.
“There are two types of people here,” he wrote. “The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued a relationship with him afterward. We are in the first group.”
Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and the mere inclusion of anyone’s name or images in the files from the investigation does not imply anything else.
No new revelations about Trump or others
For some people searching for the record released Friday, the most interesting parts were the ones in which high-profile celebrities appeared rarely — or not at all.
For example, there is minimal reference to Trump in the files, and the small number of photos that show him have been in the public domain for decades.
The release includes at least one photo of former Prince Andrew, who appears to be in a tuxedo while lying on the lap of several women dressed formally. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers, accused Epstein of arranging for her to have sex with men, including the prince.
Marina Lacerda, one of the women who says she survived Epstein’s sexual assault when she was 14, said Friday she wanted to see more transparency from the Justice Department and expressed disappointment over the cuts and incomplete release.
“Just put the files out,” he said. “And stop modifying names that don’t need to be edited.”
Some MPs are upset with the partial release
Several lawmakers criticized the Trump administration for failing to produce all the documentation required under the law.
Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced what is known as a discharge petition, which ultimately led to a congressional vote to force the release of the Epstein files. On Friday, both of them took to social media to criticize the partial release.
Macy wrote that it “completely fails to follow both the spirit and letter of the law.” Khanna described the releases so far as “disappointing”.
“We will insist on genuine documents,” he said.
Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., said that by ignoring the deadline, the administration is denying justice to Epstein’s victims. He said he was “exploring all avenues and legal tools to bring justice to the victims and transparency to the American people.”
If Democratic lawmakers want, they could go to court to force the Justice Department to follow the law, but it would almost certainly be a lengthy process that would continue as the department releases more files.
Separately, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena for the Epstein files. This could provide another opportunity for Congress to force the committee to release more information, but it would require Republicans to engage in contempt of Congress proceedings against the Republican administration.