The US Justice Department has released thousands of pages of documents and photographs linked to its investigation into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following months of political pressure and the passage of a new transparency law. Large portions of the material remain redacted.
The records were made public on Friday under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed by Congress that mandates the release of unclassified files connected to Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The disclosures are being published on a rolling basis because of the volume of material involved.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of aiding the trafficking of teenage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
Public figures named or pictured
Media organisations reviewing the files have identified several well-known public figures who are named or appear in photographs. Their presence in the records does not imply wrongdoing.
Among those identified in photographs or documents released so far are:
- Bill Clinton, former US president, pictured in several images, including on trips involving Epstein and Maxwell. Clinton has previously denied any wrongdoing.
- Michael Jackson, singer, appearing in photographs alongside Epstein and others.
- Mick Jagger, lead singer of the Rolling Stones, is seen in images with Clinton.
- Prince Andrew, formerly Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, pictured with Maxwell and others. He has repeatedly denied all allegations related to Epstein.
- Kevin Spacey, actor, appearing in photographs with Clinton and Maxwell.
- Chris Tucker, comedian, pictured with Maxwell.
- Sarah Ferguson, former Duchess of York.
- Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, is seen in a photograph with Epstein.
- Walter Cronkite, US broadcast journalist.
- Phil Collins, musician, is listed in contact records.
- Minnie Driver, an actor, is named in address book-style documents.
- The contact books released also mention figures from entertainment, fashion, business, and politics, including Alec Baldwin, Naomi Campbell, David Blaine, Candice Bushnell, Tony Blair, Mike Bloomberg, and José María Aznar, among others.
The newly released files contain limited references to US President Donald Trump, despite his past social association with Epstein. Trump has said he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s.
According to reports, Trump appears briefly in a photograph alongside Melania Trump, Epstein, and Maxwell. Other images show books related to Trump placed on shelves, but there is no indication of criminal allegations against him in the released material.
What has been released so far
According to the Justice Department, the initial release includes photographs, call logs, contact books, grand jury testimony, and investigative records, some of which were already in the public domain. Officials say redactions have been applied to protect victims, preserve ongoing investigations, and prevent the release of abusive material.
Limits of the disclosure
The Guardian and other outlets note that many images are undated and released without context. Experts caution that despite the scale of the disclosure, the documents may not offer a complete picture of Epstein’s network.
More material is expected to be published in the weeks ahead.
Renewed focus on Bill Clinton
The release has renewed attention on Bill Clinton, who appears prominently in several photographs published so far, including images showing him travelling and dining with Epstein and Maxwell.
In response, Clinton’s spokesperson Angel Urena criticised the timing and framing of the release, saying, “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.”
Urena added, “There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first.”
As further records are released, scrutiny is expected to intensify over who knew Epstein, when, and under what circumstances.
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