The US Department of Justice released hundreds of thousands of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein late Friday, hours before a legal deadline. The massive dump included photos showing high-profile figures with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, though officials stressed that appearing in the files does not imply wrongdoing.
The release followed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by President Donald Trump on November 19. The law mandated the DOJ make all Epstein investigation materials public by midnight Friday, December 19.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced "several hundred thousand" documents would be released initially, with "several hundred thousand more" expected over the next couple of weeks. He told Fox News the phased approach was necessary to protect victims' identities.
Photos spark attention
The documents included numerous undated images. One showed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lying across the laps of five people at what appeared to be a black-tie event, with Ghislaine Maxwell standing nearby. The faces of others in the photo were redacted.
Former President Bill Clinton appeared in multiple images. Photos showed him with Ghislaine Maxwell in a pool and at social gatherings. Other images featured Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Kevin Spacey, and Sarah Ferguson with Epstein or Maxwell.
The files also contained flight logs, contact books with thousands of names, and a document titled "D Masseuse List" with 254 entries—all redacted.
Website crashes under demand
The DOJ launched an "Epstein Library" section on its website around 9pm Friday evening. Users attempting to access the files were placed in a queue due to "extremely high volume of search requests." Many received error messages stating their queue numbers were rejected.
The website included a privacy notice acknowledging that despite redaction efforts, the "volume of information" meant some "non-public personally identifiable information or other sensitive content" might remain visible.
Political backlash over incomplete release
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the partial disclosure. "The Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some," he said. "Failing to do so is breaking the law."
Democrats accused the administration of violating federal law and covering up evidence. A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom's office wrote: "WHAT ARE TRUMP, BONDI, AND KASH HIDING!! RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES."
House Republicans defended the administration, accusing Democrats of "cherry-picking" documents "to try to score political points and create a hoax against President Trump."
The DOJ's Office of Public Affairs pushed back, stating the department was releasing documents the Biden and Obama administrations "declined to make public."
President Trump refused to answer questions about the release after a White House event Friday, saying he didn't want to "spoil" the event.
Heavy redactions draw criticism
Many documents were heavily redacted to protect victims and sensitive information. One file showed 100 consecutive pages of solid black rectangles. Social media users expressed frustration over the extent of censorship.
The law allows the DOJ to withhold information that would be a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" or jeopardize active investigations. However, records cannot be withheld solely because they might embarrass officials or public figures.
What comes next
Officials indicated the document release would continue for weeks. Blanche emphasized that authorities were "looking at every single piece of paper" to ensure victim protection.
Journalists and the public are now combing through the available files. The documents originate from three separate investigations: a 2005 police probe in Palm Beach, Florida; a 2008 federal investigation resulting in a controversial plea deal; and a 2019 Manhattan investigation that ended with Epstein's death.
Background on Epstein case
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 for recruiting and trafficking minors for sexual abuse. She is serving a 20-year sentence in federal prison.
This week, Maxwell filed a petition seeking to overturn her conviction, citing "substantial new evidence" that she did not receive a fair trial.
Over 1,200 victims and their families have been identified during the review of records, according to DOJ officials.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
