The US Justice Department on Friday made public a vast cache of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, releasing hundreds of thousands of pages under a congressionally mandated deadline.
While the precise number of records released remains unclear, the material references to former Democratic President Bill Clinton, while containing little mention of incumbent President Donald Trump.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the department planned to release “several hundred thousand” records on Friday. The documents include evidence gathered from multiple law enforcement investigations into Epstein, along with photographs featuring Clinton.
ALSO READ| Donald Trump announces two new holidays for federal staff around Christmas
Bill Clinton photos dominate Epstein file release
One image shows a younger-looking Clinton reclining in a hot tub, partially obscured by a black rectangle. Another photograph depicts Clinton swimming alongside a dark-haired woman believed to be Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Additional images include a photograph of Clinton standing with Michael Jackson, with Diana Ross beside them. Epstein does not appear in that particular image.
The limited presence of Trump in the newly released files has sparked debate, given his documented social interactions with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s. While Trump’s name appears in a contact book included in the records, there are no photographs of him and only minimal references.
Interestingly, Trump appeared in earlier Epstein-related disclosures, including flight logs released by the Justice Department in February.
On November 19, Trump signed legislation requiring the Justice Department to release most Epstein-related files within 30 days, including records tied to Epstein’s death in federal custody.
ALSO READ| Elon Musk makes $698M daily; Check what he makes every hour while you sleep
“By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee's subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigations into Epstein's Democrat friends, the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said, per the Washington Post.
“They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn't about Bill Clinton,” Clinton’s spokesperson Angel Urea said, adding, “There are two types of people here… We're in the first.”
