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The time is near for the US government to open its files Jeffrey Epstein,
After months of rancor and accusations, Congress passed and the President donald trump have signed legislation binding Justice Department The public must be told everything they know about Epstein – and it must be done before Christmas.
A federal judge took a step toward doing just that on Friday by allowing the department to release the transcripts of a grand jury investigation into Epstein’s abuse of underage girls. FloridaThe judge said the new law overrides normal rules about grand jury secrecy,
Although the thousands of pages of Florida transcripts and other Epstein-related records to be released will certainly contain never-before-seen material, much has already been made public, including through Congress and litigation.
And don’t expect a “client list” of famous people who were in contact with Epstein. Although such a list has long been rumored, the Justice Department said in July that it does not exist.
Here’s a look at what’s expected to go public, what’s not, and a refresher on how we got to this point:
Who is Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was a millionaire money manager known for hobnobbing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite who was accused of sexually abusing underage girls.
Her relationships with powerful people, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton and former British Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, have been the subject of endless fascination and speculation. Neither Trump nor Clinton have been accused of wrongdoing. Andrew has denied abusing anyone.
Police in Palm Beach, Florida began investigating Epstein in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. The FBI then became involved in the investigation, but Epstein made a secret deal with the U.S. attorney in Florida to avoid federal charges, allowing him to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge in 2008. He served 13 months in a prison work-release program.
In 2019, during Trump’s first term, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging that he sexually abused dozens of girls. He committed suicide in jail a month after his arrest.
In 2021, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Epstein’s longtime confidant and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. She is 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 any other work the Justice Department did to investigate Epstein’s dealings in the intervening time.
They may include notes and reports written by FBI agents; Transcripts of witness interviews, photographs, videos, and other evidence; Epstein’s autopsy report; And some content that may already be public, such as flight logs and travel records.
The law, called the Epstein Files Transparency Act, orders the Justice Department to release all declassified documents and investigative materials, including files related to immunity deals and internal communications about which to bring charges or investigate.
The transcripts, which will be released after a Florida federal judge’s ruling Friday, could shed more light on federal prosecutors’ decision not to pursue his case two decades ago. It is not known when the copies will be made public.
What is not authorized for release under the law?
Anything containing personally identifiable information about the victim.
The law allows the Justice Department to withhold or redact records that, if made public, would be a “clearly unreasonable invasion of individual privacy.” It also prohibits the release of any material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, or images of death, physical abuse, or injury.
This means that if videos or photographs exist of Epstein or anyone else sexually abusing underage girls, they cannot be made public.
However, the law also makes clear that no records shall be withheld or redacted – meaning that certain parts are blacked out – merely because their release would cause embarrassment or harm to the reputation of any public figure, government official or foreign dignitary.
When will the files be available to the public?
The law requires the Justice Department to make the documents public in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of Trump signing them into law. This means not before December 19th.
However, the law also allows the Justice Department to withhold files it says could jeopardize an active federal investigation. This is also a long-standing policy of the Justice Department. Files may also be withheld if they are found to be classified or if they relate to national defense or foreign policy.
While the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell have been lengthy, Attorney General Pam Bondi last week ordered a top federal prosecutor to lead an investigation into people who knew Epstein and some of Trump’s political enemies, including Clinton.
That investigation, conducted at Trump’s insistence despite the Justice Department previously finding no evidence to support such an investigation, could give the government grounds to temporarily withhold at least some material.
What about the so-called customer list?
Epstein’s so-called “client list” – a purported collection of his famous associates – has been a white whale for Epstein detectives, skeptics and conspiracy theorists alike.
Even Bondi got in on the action, telling Fox News in February that the “client list” is “sitting on my desk right now for review.”
The only problem: The Justice Department concluded it didn’t exist, issuing a letter in July saying a review of Epstein-related records had turned up no incriminating “client list.” Nor is there any credible evidence that Epstein “blackmailed key individuals as part of his actions,” the unsigned memo said.
Why are these records being released now?
Congress is pressuring the government to take action after Trump reneged on a campaign promise last year to open the files. The Justice Department released some records earlier this year – almost all of them are already public – but made an abrupt halt in July after promising a “truckload” more.
This prompted a small, bipartisan group of House lawmakers to launch what was initially seen as a long-term effort to force his release through legislation. Meanwhile, lawmakers began declassifying documents obtained from Epstein’s estate, culminating in the release of 23,000 pages last week.
As public and political pressure increased, including from some of Trump’s allies, Congress quickly passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 18, and Trump signed it into law the next day.
Haven’t some of the Epstein files already been made public?
Yes. Before Congress got involved, thousands of pages of records were released over the years through civil lawsuits, Epstein and Maxwell’s public criminal case dockets, public disclosure and Freedom of Information Act requests.
Many of the documents — including police reports written in Florida, state grand jury records, statements by Epstein’s staff, his flight records, his address book — are already available. In July, the Justice Department released surveillance video from the prison the night of Epstein’s death.
Even the FBI has released some Epstein-related files before, posting more than 1,400 pages on its website, though much of the material was redacted and some hidden because it was under seal.