DOJ releases thousands of Epstein records

The US justness section has released a big tranche of records related to to its investigations into belatedly financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, publishing the files online on Friday.

The documents were made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation signed by President Donald Trump that compels the Justice Department to release records tied to federal criminal investigations into Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

The so-called “Epstein Library” has been organized into four main categories: court records; disclosures made under the Epstein Files Transparency Act; documents released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests; and records previously provided to the House Oversight Committee in September.

The archive includes a vast number of photographs showing Jeffrey Epstein, his convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and others during trips to locations such as Bali, Indonesia, Morocco and St Tropez, France. Many of the images are heavily redacted, in line with legal requirements to remove information that could identify potential victims or contain child sexual abuse material.

The Justice Department included a prominent warning on the website hosting the files, stating that “all reasonable efforts” had been made to review and redact personal information related to victims and other private individuals. However, it cautioned that due to the volume of material, some sensitive or non-public information could appear inadvertently. The department also warned that parts of the collection contain descriptions of sexual assault and may not be suitable for all readers.

It is not yet clear whether Friday’s disclosure represents a complete release of all materials held by the department or only a portion, with officials signaling that additional documents could follow.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier that the release would involve “several hundred thousand” records, adding that more files could be published in the coming weeks. That timeline has drawn scrutiny, as the law requires the department to disclose all records in its possession by December 19. Some materials remain exempt from disclosure, including records tied to active investigations, documents that could identify victims, and any images depicting abuse, death, or injury.

The release follows months of political pressure and public controversy surrounding the Epstein case, which has resurfaced repeatedly since Epstein’s death in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Lawmakers and advocacy groups have long called for greater transparency around the handling of the investigations and Epstein’s network of associates.

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