Democratic lawmakers from the US have unveiled two fresh sets of images from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, disclosing insights into the convicted sex offender’s residence and connections with the affluent and influential.
US President Donald Trump, former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and ex-Trump advisor Steve Bannon are among the prominent individuals appearing in the pictures. Many of these images have been previously observed and do not suggest any illicit actions.
The nearly 100 photographs shared by House Oversight Committee members on Friday are part of over 95,000 images secured through subpoena, according to the Democrats.
The justice department is set to reach a deadline next week for releasing all documents associated with Epstein.
In the initial set of photos made public by legislators on Friday, Epstein is depicted with various high-profile individuals, none of whom have responded yet. Many of them have previously denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Trump was featured in three of the images released on that day. One image displays him beside a woman whose face has been obscured.
Another image presents Trump next to Epstein as they converse with model Ingrid Seynhaeve at a Victoria’s Secret event in New York in 1997 – an image that has already been publicly accessible.
A third image captures Trump smiling alongside several women, whose faces have also been obscured, standing on either side of him.
An additional image illustrates a caricature of the president on red packets beside a sign stating: “Trump Condom”.
The White House deemed the release a “Democrat hoax” against Trump that has been “repeatedly disproven”. Trump has long claimed that the Epstein controversy was a distraction engineered by his opponents to divert attention from the accomplishments of his administration.
The files released on Friday also include personal pictures of Epstein, featuring one of him in a bathtub and another that seemingly displays sexual paraphernalia. They further show him alongside various other notable figures, including former President Bill Clinton and tech billionaire Bill Gates.
One image showing Clinton captures him alongside Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 for her part in enabling the disgraced financier’s exploitation.
Two other unidentified individuals are present in the photo, which appears to have been autographed by Clinton.
Clinton has denied any misconduct linked to Epstein. In 2019, a representative stated he “knows nothing about the horrific crimes” Epstein admitted to.
Andrew, who has been under scrutiny for years regarding his past connections with Epstein, was stripped of his “prince” title and vacated his Windsor residence, Royal Lodge, earlier this year. He has denied any misconduct.
Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon is also depicted in some of the pictures. In one, he is shown conversing with Epstein at a desk, and in another, standing beside him in front of a mirror.
A third picture shows him engaged in conversation with filmmaker Woody Allen.
Other notable figures appearing in the images include US economist Larry Summers, attorney Alan Dershowitz, and entrepreneur Richard Branson. Not all images feature these individuals alongside Epstein.
No additional context or information accompanied the images, leaving the specifics of when, why, or where many of the photos were taken—including those from Epstein’s estate in the US Virgin Islands, showcasing several rooms, including one with a dental chair surrounded by sculptures of moustached men on the walls, a scene previously released in Epstein files—unclear.
One image portrays an orange pumpkin with a blonde wig carved to resemble Trump. Above it, a sign states: “Trumpkin. Make Halloween Great Again.”
Republicans, holding the majority on the House Oversight Committee, have alleged that Democrats are “cherry-picking photographs and implementing selective redactions to fabricate a misleading narrative concerning President Trump”.
In a statement, Representative Robert Garcia, the leading Democrat on the congressional committee, remarked: “It’s time to conclude this White House cover-up and deliver justice to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his influential associates.”
“These unsettling photos bring forth even more inquiries into Epstein and his connections with some of the most powerful men globally. We will not rest until the American populace receives the truth. The Department of Justice must publish all records, NOW,” he asserted.
Epstein’s links to numerous high-profile individuals, along with various lingering questions about the case and his suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking allegations, have spurred online conspiracy theories and calls for increased transparency regarding investigations into the billionaire financier.
Following sustained pressure from across the political spectrum, the justice department is mandated to release all Epstein-related documents by December 19, in compliance with a bill passed nearly unanimously by Congress and endorsed by Trump in November.
This upcoming deadline is distinct from the congressional probe into the Epstein situation.
Friday’s publications represent the second occasion within a month that Democrats on the committee have shared new images from their investigation into Epstein.
Initially, they released 19 images on Friday morning before disclosing nearly 80 more later in the day, stating in a release: “In the spirit of transparency, we will continue to disseminate photographs from Epstein’s estate.”
When asked about the new images on Friday evening, Trump informed reporters that numerous individuals were acquainted with and photographed with Epstein, describing the release as “no big deal”.
Trump maintained a friendship with Epstein during the 1990s, but claimed their relationship soured in the early 2000s, two years prior to Epstein’s initial arrest. Additionally, the White House had previously stated that Trump expelled him from his Florida resort for “being a creep”.
