The United States Department of Justice has released investigation files into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the result of pressure that has had repercussions for prominent business leaders and politicians, including President Donald Trump.
The disclosure occurred after Congress approved in November, by a large majority, a . Trump resisted for a long time, but ended up giving in under pressure from Republican lawmakers.
The law required the release of investigative records, flight logs, travel documents, immunity agreements, internal department communications and paperwork related to Epstein’s 2019 death. However, the measure also includes protections for victims and allows exceptions for ongoing investigations.
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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said this Friday (19), in an interview with Fox Newsthat authorities are reviewing files to ensure the protection of victims and that they expect more documents to be released in the coming weeks.
This Friday, the site was putting users in a queue before allowing access to the material, signaling the great interest in the documents.
The Department of Justice included a search tool but acknowledged that its use is limited, explaining that “due to technical limitations and the format of certain materials (e.g., handwritten text), portions of these documents may not be electronically searchable or may generate unreliable search results.” The materials released Friday included redactions and multiple sets of data.
One of the lots contained a photo of former President Bill Clinton and the late musician Michael Jackson.
The publication of the documents creates the possibility of yet another political problem for Trump, who is already facing voter dissatisfaction with his management of the economy.
The Epstein case has long been a burden for Trump.
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Many of the president’s allies have fixated on Epstein, demanding greater transparency from the federal government, while conspiracy theories circulate about his associates in politics, business and academia, as well as the circumstances of his death. Epstein, convicted of sex crimes, was facing federal charges of trafficking underage girls when he died in prison in 2019. Authorities ruled the death a suicide.
Trump, 79, was friends with Epstein but claims he cut ties with him about two decades ago and was unaware of his sexual crimes.
As a candidate, Trump promised to release files related to Epstein. In February, the Justice Department released a first batch of documents that were already widely public. In July, the department and the FBI said no further disclosures were necessary or appropriate, sparking a furious backlash among many of the president’s supporters. Trump complained over the summer that the situation was a “hoax” created by Democrats to undermine his presidency.
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The long-running dispute over the files has caused divisions among Trump’s base and among Republicans in Congress. This meant that Trump, at times, struggled to control the political narrative and sought ways to divert attention from the controversy. He publicly broke ranks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, withdrawing his support for the well-known GOP lawmaker who was once one of his biggest supporters.
A congressional committee has already published about 20,000 pages of emails and other documents. Among them is a message in which Epstein appears to suggest that Trump was aware of his conduct. Epstein reportedly alleged in 2011 that Trump spent time in a house with one of the sex offender’s victims and suggested that the future president was aware of his activities.
“I want you to realize that that dog that didn’t bark is Trump,” Epstein wrote in the email. He went on to say that one victim “spent hours at my house with him” and that “he was never mentioned once.” The release did not directly identify who Epstein was referring to.
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The White House accused Democratic lawmakers of “selectively releasing” these emails to smear Trump and called attempts to link the president to Epstein’s crimes a sham. Trump also requested that the Justice Department investigate Epstein’s ties to several prominent Democrats, including Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman.
Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was chosen to lead the investigation. Critics question whether the investigation will allow the administration to refuse to release some documents.
Clinton denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Summers said he regretted his relationship with the disgraced financier and would step back from public engagements, including his role as a paid contributor to Bloomberg Televisionas confirmed by a spokesperson for Bloomberg News.
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Hoffman also expressed regret for his association with Epstein, but said his relationships were nothing more than fundraising for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, brother of King Charles III, was recently expelled from his royal residence due to his links to Epstein. Andrew denied allegations by one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, that she was forced into sexual encounters with him. Giuffre died by suicide in April, according to her family.
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