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The Justice Department is hours away from a Congress-imposed deadline to release hundreds of documents related to government investigation in the dead Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
By Friday, December 19, the department must release all declassified documents, investigative materials and internal communications from the Epstein investigation and His colleague, Ghislaine MaxwellThis includes references to flight logs and named individuals, including potentially government officials,
This much-awaited release is part of better efforts by some MPs Transparency about the Epstein investigation. The multi-millionaire financier was accused of sexually abusing young women and girls before committing suicide in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on trafficking charges. serving a 20 year prison sentence For crimes related to Epstein’s abuse.
Thousands of documents about Epstein’s crimes have already been released through criminal and civil litigation. House Democrats also released photos and paperwork with the latest tranche released Thursday.
Here’s what else the public can expect ahead of release.
Why is this happening now?
Last month, almost every member of Congress Voted for Epstein Files Transparency Act That gave the Justice Department approximately 30 days to gather, redact, and release documents related to the government’s investigation into Epstein and Maxwell.
Despite near-unanimity, it took weeks for lawmakers on both sides of the House to force a vote due to the government shutdown and initial pressure from President Donald Trump.
Trump insisted during the campaign that he would release the Epstein files while he was in the White House, saying he and key administration officials reversed their position earlier this year and claimed There was no new or necessary information to be released.
but facing Enormous public pressure, including from members of his own MAGA base And for survivors of Epstein’s abuse, the president allowed Republicans to vote for the bill.
What can be released?
This is unclear, as the government has wide discretion to modify certain information. But it’s possible the new information will provide more details about how investigators went after Epstein, and whether they considered other charges.
Epstein was subject to federal investigation twice, First time in Florida in 2006. But despite being convicted, The U.S. Attorney at the time, Alex Acosta, arranged a controversial deal for the millionaire, pleading guilty to two state charges, along with a prison sentence and a requirement that he register as a sex offender in exchange for the federal case being dropped.
The second investigation led to a sex trafficking indictment and arrest of Epstein in New York in 2019. However, he died in prison before he could face trial.
Judges in Florida and New York have approved the release of grand jury material that was used to bring two separate indictments against Epstein, as well as against Maxwell.
Although grand jury materials may contain some information, it represents only a fraction of the documents held by the Justice Department.
However, the judge who approved the release of grand jury material in Maxwell’s case warned that “nothing new will be learned” from the documents.
The judge said the material did not identify criminals other than Epstein and Maxwell; Do not discuss Epstein’s alleged clients; And do not disclose any unknown patterns of Epstein or Maxwell’s crimes. Nor do they reveal any other location where the crimes have been committed, the judge said.
What will be modified?
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Attorney General Pam Bondi is allowed to redact information that could identify victims, their medical files, or that could be considered an invasion of personal privacy.
Bondi can redact anything that depicts or involves sexual exploitation material, the death or physical abuse or injury of another person, as well as any information that could jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation.
The Justice Department is also allowed to redact information in the interest of national security or foreign policy.
What has been released so far?
Most of the significant information about Epstein and his crimes has been released through public disclosures in civil and criminal lawsuits, as well as through Freedom of Information Act requests from news organizations.
Police reports, state grand jury records, flight record, Epstein’s address book And interviews with Epstein’s employees have been public for years.
Most of the information that people are familiar with was released during Maxwell’s 2021 federal sex trafficking trial, which led to his conviction of child sex trafficking and other crimes.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department issued Footage from the Manhattan jail where Epstein diedHowever one minute was clearly missing from its timestamp. Officials are citing a long-standing error in the monitoring system as the reason for this.
Democrats on House Oversight Committee also recently released photos of Epstein’s property On your private island and Epstein with some of his high-profile and powerful friends and associates, including Trump and former President Bill Clinton. The presence of a person in files or images with Epstein does not imply allegations of wrongdoing.