95,000 Epstein photos drop: Trump, Clinton, Bill Gates appear; DOJ’s files are still sealed

Photo released from the Jeffrey Epstein files shows Donald Trump with multiple women. Redactions were done by the Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. Date and context is unclear. Source: Democrats on the House Oversight Committee. (Acquired from CNBC)

A fresh tranche of Jeffrey Epstein material has landed in Washington, and it has reopened a political fight the White House thought it had parked.

Nearly 100,000 photographs obtained by House Democrats from Epstein’s estate show some of the most powerful men in the world,  including President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, in social settings with the late financier and convicted sex offender. None of the images alleges criminal conduct.

What the photos show, and what they don’t

According to CNBC, the images, released on Friday by Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, include photographs of Trump, Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, filmmaker Woody Allen, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Britain’s Prince Andrew, and Epstein’s former lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

Photos released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee from Jeffrey Epstein’s files: Photos released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee from Jeffrey Epstein’s files. Steve Bannon and Jeffrey Epstein with Alan Dershowitz. (Acquired from CNBC)

In one photo, Trump stands among six women whose faces were blacked out by the committee; some wear Hawaiian leis. Another shows Trump standing behind Epstein at what appears to be a social gathering. A third image places Trump seated next to a woman, her face obscured, on what looks like a plane.

Clinton appears in a separate photograph alongside Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and two others; the image bears Clinton’s signature. According to CNBC, the committee did not disclose dates, locations or the circumstances under which the photographs were taken.

Critically, the images themselves do not allege wrongdoing. Trump has never been accused of crimes linked to Epstein and has denied knowing about Epstein’s abuse. Clinton’s office has long acknowledged limited travel and contact with Epstein in the early 2000s, while denying any knowledge of criminal activity.

For months, the Trump administration resisted releasing investigative files tied to Epstein and Maxwell. In November, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation compelling the Justice Department to release those records. They still have not been made public.

CNBC report says, citing Democrats, that the photo release is meant to force the issue.

“This latest production contains over 95,000 photos, including images of the wealthy and powerful men who spent time with Jeffrey Epstein,” committee Democrats said in a statement, adding that more images would be released in the coming weeks while protecting survivor identities.

Rep. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the committee, framed the move as a direct challenge to the administration. “It is time to end this White House cover-up and bring justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends,” he said, calling on the Justice Department to release all remaining files.

The political players, and their incentives

For Democrats, the photos serve a dual purpose: highlighting Epstein’s deep social access to elites across party lines, and keeping pressure on a Justice Department controlled by a president who once counted Epstein as a friend.

For the White House, the stakes are different. Trump and Epstein moved in overlapping social circles in the 1990s before falling out in the early 2000s. The administration has argued that releasing raw investigative files could compromise privacy, ongoing legal considerations, or victims’ identities, a claim Democrats dispute.

The long shadow of Epstein

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges. His death, ruled a suicide but marred by procedural failures, ensured that many questions would never be tested in court.

Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 of helping procure underage girls for sexual abuse and is serving a 20-year federal sentence.

Over the years, Epstein’s associations with politicians, royalty, financiers and academics have repeatedly surfaced through court filings, flight logs and witness testimony. Each disclosure has reinforced a central paradox: Epstein’s crimes were hidden in plain sight, enabled by wealth, influence and access.

What Clinton and others have said

In 2019, Clinton spokesperson Angel Urena said the former president knew 'nothing' about Epstein’s crimes. Urena acknowledged that Clinton took four trips on Epstein’s plane in 2002 and 2003, to Europe, Asia and Africa, in connection with Clinton Foundation work, with staff and Secret Service present on all legs.

Clinton, Urena said, visited Epstein’s New York apartment once and has never been to Epstein’s private island, ranch in New Mexico or Florida residence.

Other figures appearing in the photos have previously denied knowledge of Epstein’s abuse or wrongdoing, or said their interactions were limited and social.