The Department of Justice (DOJ) faces a Friday deadline to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplices, as required under a new federal law signed by President Donald Trump.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed Nov. 19, set a 30-day countdown for the DOJ to make the records public. The law passed Congress with near-unanimous support, but questions remain about how much will be disclosed.
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The legislation states it is “An Act to require the Attorney General to release all documents and records in possession of the Department of Justice relating to Jeffrey Epstein.” It also makes clear that “no record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary."
However, several exemptions remain. The DOJ may withhold records that contain personal information of victims, depict or contain child sexual abuse materials, involve victims’ medical files, or would jeopardize ongoing investigations or prosecutions.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Justice Department will follow the law. But on Tuesday, Democrats in Washington expressed concern the Trump administration could misuse those exemptions to keep key information hidden.
“If they abuse narrow exemptions, we will know,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “And there will be serious legal and political consequences.”
The DOJ is not the only agency releasing new Epstein-related material. In recent days, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published photographs showing Epstein alongside various celebrities — including President Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
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The committee has been investigating Epstein for months and has given Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dates in January to sit for a deposition. Members have threatened to hold them in contempt if they do not appear. The Clintons have long denied wrongdoing, as has President Trump.
“I mean, everybody knew this man,” the president recently stated. “He was all over Palm Beach. He has photos with everybody. I mean, almost there are hundreds and hundreds of people that have photos with him, so that’s no big deal.”
