The Justice Department released a trove of investigative documents on dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein Friday, with the department’s second-in-command indicating the records would only represent a partial disclosure of those available.
The comments from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche quickly drew outrage from congressional Democrats, who accused the department of violating a federal law that ordered the release of all of the records by the Friday deadline.
A spot on the DOJ website called “Epstein Library” listed downloads of hundreds of documents ― files that include investigative documents and pictures. Some are expected to have redactions to comply with part of the law protecting victim information.
CQ Roll Call will be posting documents here, and FiscalNote has created a comprehensive, searchable, AI-enhanced database of Epstein files at Epstein Unboxed.
The posting comes a month after Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation ordering the release of documents. Friday’s release is a step toward transparency in a now-notorious sex trafficking case that has drawn outrage and intense interest from the public, including speculation that the investigative files on the late financier could implicate high-profile figures in the sexual exploitation of girls.
The files now are sure to be pored over by lawmakers, journalists and watchers of the case. But lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed skepticism that the Trump administration will fully comply with the law and have said they have been in contact with attorneys for Epstein’s victims.
Among the files released Friday are a lengthy catalog of photos, such as images from inside Epstein’s notorious Manhattan residence, including an apparent massage room with artwork of naked women on the walls. The images also included candid photos of Epstein and Maxwell, as well as famous figures such as former President Bill Clinton.
Other files are investigative records and forms, and some documents have entire pages redacted, while other documents are redacted entirely.
Trump and House Republican leaders fought rank-and-file members for months over whether materials held by the federal government should be released publicly. At one point earlier in the year, before Congress passed the law, the FBI and the Trump Justice Department determined that no further disclosure regarding Epstein “would be appropriate or warranted.”
In particular, the legislation requires the Justice Department to publish — in a searchable format — all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment.
But Blanche, in a Fox News interview on Friday, indicated the documents to be provided Friday would only be a partial release.
“I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks. So today, several hundred thousand, and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more,” Blanche said.
The top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a statement Friday after Blanche’s comments, criticizing Attorney General Pamela Bondi and saying they “are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“For months, Pam Bondi has denied survivors the transparency and accountability they have demanded and deserve and has defied the Oversight Committee’s subpoena,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said. “The Department of Justice is now making clear it intends to defy Congress itself.”
On Friday morning, Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican and key figure in the push to release the documents, posted an image of the legislation. He highlighted the deadline provision and the word “all” in the legislation — meaning the full production of the materials.
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York emphasized in a news release Friday morning that the law “was clear as can be — the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some. Failing to do so is breaking the law.”
“Senate Democrats are working closely with attorneys for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and with outside legal experts to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi,” Schumer said. “We will not stop until the whole truth comes out.”
Epstein died in 2019 in federal custody while facing charges that he sexually exploited and abused dozens of girls at his homes in New York City and Palm Beach, Florida.
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