The Justice Department on Friday made public a portion — but not the entirety — of its investigative documentation regarding Jeffrey Epstein, the infamous sex offender.
This disclosure coincided with the deadline established by the newly enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act mandating the DOJ to unveil all pertinent documents.
Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a key proponent of the legislative effort that initiated a vote on the bill which became law, remarked that the DOJ’s delivery of the documents “severely falls short of both the intent and the specifics of the law.”
The DOJ’s official website now contains a new section titled “Epstein Library”, which includes a search feature for keywords within the recently unveiled files.
The released material encompassed hundreds of images, some of which showed Epstein alongside his former partner and convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, along with visuals depicting parts of his residence and various locations.
Epstein died in a jail suicide in 2019. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence linked to her role in procuring underage girls for his exploitation.
It was unclear how much of the materials released were previously unavailable through other means.
The search function did not seem operational initially, with queries for terms such as “Epstein” returning a notification stating: “No results found. Please try a different search.”
“This site contains materials in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the webpage states. “This site will be updated should more documents be uncovered for release.”
In a correspondence to Congress members outlining the partial release, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche noted that the materials included evidence gathered in a 2018 FBI investigation into Epstein; a 2019 inquiry into Maxwell; “the FBI Miami investigative documents pertaining to the 2006 Epstein child prostitution case; along with the investigative files from the FBI Miami and FBI New York for the 2019 Epstein death investigation;” in addition to court documents from civil and criminal proceedings involving Epstein, Maxwell, and the Epstein estate.
Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., indicated on Friday that Congress might conduct impeachment hearings against Attorney General Pam Bondi and Blanche if the documents released do not meet the legal stipulations.
“We require a definitive timeline regarding when the remainder of the documents will be released and an explanation for the decision not to disclose all of them today,” Khanna expressed at a press conference following the DOJ’s document release.
Several images displayed former President Bill Clinton, including one portraying a smiling Clinton with a young woman in a white tank top seated on the arm of his chair, her arm draped around his shoulder while his left hand rests near her hip.
Another image features a shirtless Clinton in a hot tub, hands clasped behind his head. A third shows both Clinton and Epstein in glossy dress shirts.
The timings and locations of any of the photographs are undetermined. CNBC did not modify the images.
Clinton has not been implicated in any wrongdoing concerning Epstein.
His spokesperson, Angel Urena, stated over six years ago, “President Clinton is unaware of the horrific crimes Jeffrey Epstein admitted to in Florida a few years back, or those charges filed against him in New York recently.”
On Friday, Urena reacted to the file releases with a message on X.
“The White House hasn’t been concealing these files for months only to unveil them late on a Friday to shield Bill Clinton,” Urena remarked. “This is about shielding themselves from forthcoming consequences, or from that which they’ll attempt to conceal indefinitely. They can showcase as many fuzzy photographs from over 20 years ago as they wish, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton.”
“There are two categories of individuals here. The first group knew nothing and distanced themselves from Epstein before his crimes came to light,” Urena continued. “The other group maintained ties with him afterward. We belong to the first group. No amount of delay by those in the second category will alter that. Everyone, particularly MAGA, demands answers, not scapegoats.”
Among the documents unveiled Friday was a contact list, which contained a reference to President Donald Trump, who had been an associate of Epstein’s for many years before their friendship ended in the early 2000s. The contact list appears to be identical or significantly similar to one of Epstein’s that was previously disclosed.
Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein and has denied being aware of Epstein’s ongoing sexual abuse involving underage girls and women.
The released documents were notably lacking in images depicting Trump, contrasting sharply with the numerous images of Clinton. Trump appears in images recently made public by Congressional Democrats after being sourced from Epstein’s estate.
One photo released by the DOJ on Friday displays a collection of photographs and items, with Trump’s face visible in one of those images.
Blanche, the deputy attorney general, previously told Fox News earlier on Friday, “I anticipate that we are going to release several hundred thousand documents today.”
“I foresee that we will unveil additional documents in the next few weeks, so today several hundred thousand, and then more forthcoming,” Blanche stated. “I expect several hundred thousand more.”
Blanche indicated that the DOJ scrutinizes each file to redact the identities and names of Epstein’s victims.
“There are numerous individuals observing this, and we want to ensure that when we release the materials, we are safeguarding each victim,” he said.
White House representative Abigail Jackson stated, “The Trump Administration is the most transparent in history.”
“By unveiling thousands of pages of documents, complying with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, and President Trump recently urging further inquiries into Epstein’s Democrat associates, the Trump Administration has accomplished more for the victims than Democrats ever have.”
“And while President Trump is fulfilling his promises, Democrats such as Hakeem Jeffries and Stacey Plaskett have yet to clarify why they were soliciting funds and meetings from Epstein after his conviction as a sex offender,” Jackson remarked. “The American populace deserves answers.”
Democrats in Congress criticized the partial release strategy and Trump.
“Donald Trump and the Justice Department are presently breaching federal law,” Representatives Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin asserted in a joint statement. “We are currently reviewing all legal avenues concerning this infringement of federal legislation.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the DOJ, Blanche, and Attorney General Pam Bondi after the interview, asserting, “This is merely a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his unsavory past.”
“The legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Trump was unequivocal — the Trump administration had 30 days to unveil ALL the Epstein documentation, not merely a portion,” Schumer explained in a statement.
“Failing to accomplish this equates to violating the law. This illustrates that the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi are resolutely intent on concealing the truth,” he added.
The text of the Epstein Files legislation states: “Not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall, subject to subsection (b), make publicly accessible in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials within the possession of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Attorneys’ Offices, relating to: (1) Jeffrey Epstein, encompassing all investigations, prosecutions, or custodial issues. (2) Ghislaine Maxwell.”
CNBC is reaching out to individuals identified in the images or referenced in the latest release of the Epstein files. This article will be updated with their feedback.
An individual mentioned in the released documents or images does not imply any wrongdoing.
Blanche ranks as the second-highest official in the DOJ, following Bondi. Blanche previously worked as a criminal defense attorney for Trump.
Garcia, D-Calif., and Maryland Democrat Raskin, in their joint statement, mentioned, “For months, Pam Bondi has denied survivors the transparency and accountability they have sought and rightfully deserve, defying the Oversight Committee’s subpoena.”
“The Department of Justice has made it evident it intends to defy Congress itself, all the while showering special attention on Epstein’s convicted associate, Ghislaine Maxwell,” they said, highlighting that Maxwell was moved to a more lenient federal correctional facility earlier this year after participating in a two-day interview with Blanche.
The ordered release of the files follows months of controversy regarding the Trump administration’s choice to retract earlier commitments made by senior law enforcement officials to publicly disclose the documents and other evidence.
In November, Congress decisively voted to compel the DOJ to disclose the Epstein files, with Trump enacting that legislation despite previously urging Republicans in Congress to oppose it.
Trump, who had a long-standing friendship with Epstein before they had a falling out in the early 2000s, termed calls for file releases as a Democratic “hoax.”
However, many prominent advocates for making the documents public were from his Republican colleagues.
Trump has yet to face accusations of wrongdoing regarding Epstein and has consistently denied any knowledge of Epstein’s long-term sexual exploitation of underage girls and young women.
The files set for release pertain to federal investigations into Epstein spanning many years.
The earliest of such inquiries concluded in 2008, when he agreed to plead guilty to state charges in Florida concerning the prostitution of minors. This agreement allowed him to evade more severe federal allegations. He received an 18-month jail sentence.
The 66-year-old Epstein was apprehended in July 2019 by federal officials on charges of child sex trafficking.
He took his own life in a Manhattan jail a few weeks later.
Epstein’s ex-girlfriend, British socialite Maxwell, was indicted the next year for offenses tied to recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein’s exploitation.
Maxwell was found guilty in a trial in 2021.
The Supreme Court has recently dismissed Maxwell’s plea to have her conviction reviewed. Earlier this week, Maxwell submitted a habeas petition without legal representation, seeking to overturn her conviction based on purportedly new evidence undermining the case against her.
— Additional reporting by Garrett Downs, Sean Conlon, Sarah Min, Liz Napolitano and Yun Li
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or in distress, please reach out to the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
