The deadline for the Trump administration to release all of the files it has related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s case is here. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November, gave the government until Dec. 19 to make the documents public.
6:55 p.m. ET: Final update
With the Friday deadline for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein investigation files having passed, the department has yet to completely release all the documents as required in the Epstein Files Transparency Act. DOJ officials say more will come before the end of the year.
The release included hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. Many of these were photos, but also contained call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts. Many of the documents are heavily redacted. The Justice Department previously said it would redact information to protect victims.
According to reports from Fox News, the Justice Department used the same redaction standards for politically exposed individuals as they used for victims. The Epstein files law explicitly prohibits this.
The law only allows the redaction of the victim’s identity or information that could impact pending investigations. Officials are also allowed to redact information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy.”
The unredacted images show several high-profile people, including former presidents, business executives and musicians.
A list of a few of the people identified in the photos and documents is below:
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
- Ghislaine Maxwell
- British supermodel Naomi Campbell
- Modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel,
- Former President Bill Clinton
- Musician Michael Jackson
- Musician Mick Jagger
The DOJ must still release the remaining files connected to the Epstein investigation. Officials have not given a timeline on when they expect the next release will take place, but they did say it would be before the end of the year.
It is notable that the Epstein Files Transparency Act does not include any punishments or penalties if the DOJ does not release all files by the end of Friday.
5:40 p.m. ET: DOJ redacts images of politically exposed individuals
The Justice Department used the same redaction standards that are used for politically exposed individuals, according to Fox News. However, the Epstein Files Transparency Act explicitly prohibits this.
The law only allows the redaction of the victim’s identity or information that could impact pending investigations. Officials are also allowed to redact information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy.”
5:18 p.m. ET: DOJ acknowledges incomplete release
The Justice Department has notified Congress that the release is incomplete, according to The Associated Press. However, officials said they would release more documents before the end of the year.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act required the DOJ to release all files pertaining to the case by the end of today. However, the act does not include any punishments if the DOJ refuses to do so.
5:05 p.m. ET: Document alleges rape
One heavily redacted document released Friday contains notes from a victim interview. In the interview, the victim alleged that Epstein assaulted her four times and raped her twice by the age of 18. She said he would sneak into her bed at night while she was sleeping and that he had an “idea to build harem.”
Many of the documents released Friday are heavily redacted. Before the release, the DOJ said it would redact many of the documents to protect the identities of the victims.
4:50 p.m. ET: White House responds to release
The White House said the release of files related to the Epstein investigation shows that the Trump administration is the “most transparent in history.”
“By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigations into Epstein’s Democrat friends, the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, according to The Associated Press.
4:40 p.m. ET: Who is in the new photos?
As Straight Arrow News continues to look at the documents the Justice Department released, several influential people appear in many of the images, similar to past file releases.
Former President Bill Clinton appears in many of the photos, including one where he is swimming with convicted Epstein co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. Another shows a painting of Clinton dressed in a blue dress.
Authorities have never accused Clinton of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein. Before the release, officials said that the inclusion of someone’s name or image does not imply they have committed a crime or are connected to an investigation.
Besides photos, the release also contained call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts. Many of the documents are heavily redacted. The Justice Department previously said they would redact information to protect victims.
4:10 p.m. ET: What was released?
Straight Arrow News is currently parsing through the thousands of documents the DOJ just released. If you would like to view them, links to the Justice Department’s website are below:
4:00 p.m. ET: DOJ begins releasing some files pertaining to Epstein case
The Department of Justice has begun releasing files relating to the federal investigation of Epstein.
3:55 p.m. ET: Trump’s name not redacted, deputy attorney general says
During an interview with ABC News Friday afternoon, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said he was never given the order to redact Trump’s name from the files.
“There’s no effort to hold anything back because there’s the name Donald J. Trump, or anybody else’s name — Bill Clinton’s name, Reid Hoffman’s name. There’s no effort to hold back or not hold back because of that,” he said during the interview.
Trump has never been accused of any crimes relating to the Epstein investigation.
3:45 p.m. ET: Timeline of Epstein Files Transparency Act
Straight Arrow News’ Krystal Nurse created a timeline of events since President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November. View it below:
3:00 p.m. ET: No sign of files yet
Initial reports said that the DOJ would release the files at 3 p.m. ET. However, officials have not released any files or updates regarding the release.
It’s important to note the Epstein Files Transparency Act did not specify at what time the files needed to be released, just that they needed to be released on Dec. 19.
12:45 p.m. ET: Democrats ‘examining all legal options’ on slow release
Democrats from the House Judiciary and Oversight committees say they’re looking into “all legal options” after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said all the Epstein files won’t be released Friday.
In a joint statement, Reps. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., accused the Trump administration of violating federal law if it doesn’t release everything by the end of the day.
“Courts around the country have repeatedly intervened when this Administration has broken the law,” the two said in a statement. “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law. The survivors of this nightmare deserve justice, the co-conspirators must be held accountable, and the American people deserve complete transparency from DOJ.”
11:43 a.m. ET: Justice Department to release files at 3 p.m. ET: Report
The Justice Department plans to release Epstein files at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, sources confirmed to CBS News.
11:30 a.m. ET: Lawmakers call out DOJ’s plan not to release all files
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. issued responses Friday after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ would not release all Epstein files on Friday.
“The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be — the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some,” Schumer said in a statement. “Failing to do so is breaking the law. This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth.”
Khanna also weighed in with a statement, saying if the DOJ doesn’t release all the files Friday, it should at least release a timeline for the rest of the release.
“In addition to today’s document release, the DOJ must today offer a clear timeline for the full release,” Khanna said. “The key is they release the names of all the powerful men in question who abused underage girls or covered it up. They must provide a clear framework to the survivors and the nation by when we will have everything public.”
Massie shared a post on X without a caption, but it shows the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with a highlighted portion indicating that all files must be released by Friday. He specifically highlighted the word “all.”
9:30 a.m. ET: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche discusses release
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke about the Epstein file release on Fox News Friday morning, saying thousands of files are expected Friday, but more will come in the following weeks.
“I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today, and those documents will come in all different forms — photographs and other materials associated with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein,” he said.
Blanche added that the Department of Justice has been “working tirelessly” to review the files and get them to the public.
9:00 a.m. ET: Rep. Thomas Massie provides explanation on release
On Thursday, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-W.V., shared a 14-minute video on X, explaining what Americans can expect when the Department of Justice releases the Epstein files.
He details what the files may include, how Americans will know they’ve been released, and the process leading to and following the release.
Background
The Epstein Files Transparency Act was backed by all but one member of Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in November. It gave the Department of Justice (DOJ) 30 days to release its records, only allowing for redactions to protect victims.
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Earlier this month, a federal judge granted the DOJ’s request to unseal records of the federal grand jury investigation into Epstein. Usually, grand jury records are kept private, but a federal judge in Florida ruled the Epstein Files Transparency Act “supersedes the otherwise secret grand jury materials.”
A separate judge granted a similar request relating to grand jury documents in Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell’s case. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking ring.
What we can expect
The files set to be released involve grand jury records from three separate Epstein investigations in Florida related to allegations of him preying on underage girls.
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Before his death, Jeffrey Epstein faced federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.
Whatever the Justice Department releases Friday will join a cache of Epstein-related documents already made public.
Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have already published hundreds of photos and thousands of documents illustrating Epstein’s ties to prominent individuals such as President Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, movie director and actor Woody Allen and former Harvard president and Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.
In September, the committee released more than 33,000 pages of records after it subpoenaed Attorney General Pam Bondi. Those files included surveillance footage from the night Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell.
Then in October and November, it released tens of thousands more pages of documents.
Trump’s connection to Epstein
One of the biggest points of interest is what the government’s files will be able to tell Americans about the late financier’s relationship with President Trump.
Trump has already been seen in multiple photos with Epstein and admitted to having a friendship with him. However, Trump has never been linked to the trafficking of underage girls and has denied any knowledge of the activity.
Trump as also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate Epstein’s connection to his political foes. The president wrote in a post on social media that Bondi’s investigation will specifically look into former President Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan Chase and “many other people and institutions.”
This story is featured in today’s Unbiased Updates. Watch the full episode here.
Democrats turn up the pressure
Ahead of the Friday deadline, House Democrats released more than 60 new images from Epstein’s estate, saying they raise serious questions about what the government is still holding back.
The images include photos of multiple foreign women’s passports, a picture of Epstein with three women, whose faces are redacted and several pictures highlighting Epstein’s connections to high-profile and powerful men.
In a statement accompanying the release, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Ca., said the photos only deepen concerns about what has yet to be disclosed.
“As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession,” Garcia said. “We must end this white house cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now.”
