The Trump administration faces a Friday deadline to release its full files on Jeffrey Epstein after years of speculation over what the documents contain, teeing up numerous potential revelations about the financier and his alleged abuse—but it remains to be seen if the government could keep some details about Epstein’s high-profile friends under wraps for now.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration must release the Epstein documents by Friday, after Congress passed a law requiring the files to be released within 30 days.
- It’s unclear when exactly the files will come out, and if they could come out all at once or in batches.
- The law requires the government to release all its files regarding investigations into Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell, flight logs related to Epstein, documentation related to his 2019 death and names of any individuals or corporate entities tied to his criminal activities.
- There are only a few carveouts for information the government doesn’t have to release, such as information that would identify victims, depicts death or child abuse, is classified, or, most notably, information that “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.”
- Critics have speculated the Trump administration could use the ongoing investigation exemption to withhold files, after the DOJ opened a new investigation into Epstein’s association with high-profile Democrats including former President Bill Clinton, Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman and economist Larry Summers, as well as JP Morgan Chase.
- Since the investigation focuses on Epstein’s ties to various “people and institutions,” the government could use the probe as a pretext to keep information about the financier’s high-profile friends hidden—though the federal law says any exceptions under the investigations carveout must be “narrowly tailored and temporary.”
What To Watch For
After the files are released, the government also then has to submit a summary of any redactions made to the files, the categories of materials that were both released and withheld, and a full list of “all government officials and politically exposed persons” who are named or referenced in the documents. Those must be made public within 15 days of the files being released.
What Will The Epstein Files Include?
The Epstein files are expected to include a range of documents related to the government’s two investigations into Epstein, including the Florida case that resulted in Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement—in which he pleaded guilty to minor state crimes and avoided larger federal charges—and the 2019 New York case that led to his arrest. It will also include documents related to Maxwell, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on sex-trafficking crimes in connection to Epstein. Among the categories of documents that could likely be released are FBI case files, witness statements, financial records, internal communications between prosecutors and Epstein’s attorneys, police records and drafts of the indictments, according to journalist Julie K. Brown, who initially broke the story of Epstein’s alleged widespread abuse. The files could also shed more light on Epstein’s death in prison, including autopsy reports, medical examiner files and witness interviews.
Grand Jury Materials Will Be Released
Three federal judges have also ruled grand jury materials regarding the cases against Epstein and Maxwell can be unsealed as part of the Epstein files release, despite rules that typically require those materials to stay private. Those documents are expected to include transcripts of the grand jury proceedings and evidence that was shown to jurors as they decided whether to bring indictments against Epstein and Maxwell. The grand jury materials aren’t expected to include explosive details, however: The DOJ has previously said the grand juries in New York did not hear any evidence from Epstein’s victims directly, and judges have noted in previous rulings on the materials that they “pale in comparison” to the full breadth of other Epstein files in the government’s possession. Anyone who is “deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter … and who reviewed these materials expecting, based on the Government’s representations, to learn new information about Epstein’s and Maxwell’s crimes and the investigation into them, would come away feeling disappointed and misled,” Judge Paul Engelmayer wrote in a ruling regarding the grand jury documents in Maxwell’s case.
Tangent
In addition to the documents in the Justice Department’s possession that are required to be released under federal law, the House Oversight Committee has also been separately releasing Epstein-related documents that it’s receiving from the government, Epstein’s estate and other sources in response to subpoenas. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released photos Friday from Epstein’s computer, which depict high-profile figures including President Donald Trump. Those photos are part of a broader tranche of 95,000 photos from the Epstein estate, which lawmakers are expected to make public, and House Oversight Democrats have also teased they will soon release materials turned over by J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, which could shed more light on Epstein’s finances.
What’s Already Public?
Thousands of pages of documents related to Epstein have already been released, including evidence used at Maxwell’s trial, materials from civil lawsuits that were unsealed and files that have already been released by House Oversight and the DOJ. Among the most notable pieces of information that have already been released include Epstein’s list of contacts—also known as his “black book”—at last some flight logs from his private plane and a surveillance video from the time of Epstein’s death that DOJ released over the summer. Civil lawsuits have included testimony from some Epstein victims, and the Justice Department has already released thousands of pages of documents on its website, though many of those documents are very heavily redacted. Since starting its investigation into Epstein, the House Oversight Committee has released thousands of documents from the DOJ—many of which were already public—and Epstein’s estate, including numerous emails, the financier’s will and a “birthday book” showing a letter to Epstein purportedly written by Trump. (The president has denied writing the letter, and is suing the Wall Street Journal for initially reporting on its alleged existence.)
Key Background
Congress passed legislation near-unanimously in November forcing the Epstein files’ release, after the Trump administration announced over the summer that it no longer planned to release the remaining files voluntarily. That announcement sparked a broad public backlash, including from the president’s own supporters, leading Congress to take up the Epstein issue through the legislation and the House Oversight Committee’s investigation. Epstein has been accused of sexually assaulting more than 100 women, many of whom were underage, and was arrested in 2019 on sex-trafficking charges before dying in prison later that year. His case has remained a source of public fascination, particularly given the financier’s cadre of high-profile friends and associates over the years, including Trump—who later had a falling out with Epstein—Clinton and billionaires including Bill Gates, Les Wexner and Leon Black. Those men, and most of the other figures with ties to Epstein, have never been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the financier’s alleged sex trafficking scheme.
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This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
