After months of public pressure and an unprecedented Republican rebellion against President Donald Trump—who initially called the investigation a “Democratic hoax” and refused to release the documents—the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday finally published thousands of pages of materials from the federal probe into Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted pedophile who was once a close friend of Trump. The release includes numerous photographs.
However, those expecting explosive revelations were left disappointed. The disclosure was only partial, despite a law signed by Trump himself requiring the administration to release the majority of the documents by a deadline that expired Friday. Many of the published files were heavily redacted, some entirely blacked out. According to reports, the documents contain no “smoking gun” or new revelations of criminal wrongdoing.
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Pages from previously sealed court documents related to the Epstein case. One grand jury transcript of 119 pages was released fully redacted
(Photo: Mandel NGAN / AFP)
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A framed photograph featuring Jeffrey Epstein holding a large check. Other individuals in the image have been redacted. Trump's name appears on the check
(Photo: Reuters)
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A fully redacted document released as part of the U.S. Justice Department’s Epstein file disclosures, fueling allegations of withheld information
The trove—comprising hundreds of thousands of pages and images—does include some potentially embarrassing photos, primarily of former president Bill Clinton. But these do not necessarily indicate his involvement, or that of any other well-known figures depicted, in the sexual exploitation of underage girls carried out by Epstein’s trafficking network.
Trump, who has remained silent since the release, appears only sparingly in the newly published materials. Critics have accused the administration of deliberately structuring the release to embarrass his political rivals while shielding him from scrutiny.
Epstein, a Jewish-American financier, was a close associate of Trump in the 1990s and early 2000s until their falling-out around 2004. He was first convicted in 2008 for sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl and served just one year in jail under notably lenient conditions. It was not until 2019 that the full scope of his abuse network came to light, aided by his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell was later convicted of procuring girls for Epstein and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Epstein was found hanged in his New York jail cell in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide. Since then, numerous conspiracy theories have emerged alleging a cover-up aimed at protecting high-profile individuals who associated with him and may have been involved in his crimes.
Among Epstein’s known associates were Trump, Clinton, ex-British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak. Aside from Andrew—who was accused directly by one of Epstein’s victims—no evidence has emerged implicating the others in criminal wrongdoing. Their appearance in documents or photographs does not in itself indicate suspicion.
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Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein appear together in matching patterned shirts in an undated image released by the Justice Department
(Photo: DOJ Epstein files)
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A painting depicting former President Bill Clinton in a blue dress and red heels hangs in Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice
(Photo: DOJ Epstein files)
Conspiracy theories and allegations of a cover-up have only intensified in recent months, following what many view as a deliberate attempt by Trump and his allies to block the release of the Epstein investigation documents. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised transparency and vowed to release the files, just as he had done in other cases, including those pertaining to the assassination of president John F. Kennedy.
Early in the campaign, Attorney General Pam Bondi made headlines by pledging to investigate what she called Epstein’s “client list.” But she later surprised observers by announcing that such a list did not exist and that no additional documents would be released. That statement, made in July, triggered an unprecedented backlash within the Republican Party. Trump eventually relented and last month signed a bipartisan congressional bill mandating the release of all documents, with only limited redactions, primarily to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims.
The deadline for the release passed Friday, but the Department of Justice did not meet its obligations under the law. Although the release was broad in scope, it was far from complete. Many documents were heavily redacted, reportedly beyond what the law allows. In one notable case, all 119 pages of a grand jury testimony were blacked out.
GOP lawmakers joined the criticism. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the legislation, accused the administration of “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.” He pledged to keep pushing for the release of the “real” documents.
The Justice Department was given just 30 days to review hundreds of thousands of documents and images, a tight timeframe, as noted by U.S. media outlets reporting on the partial release.
Amid polling showing that 70% of Americans believe the government is intentionally hiding information about the Epstein case, Democrats also voiced strong criticism. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the DOJ, Trump and Bondi were “hellbent on hiding the truth.”
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Jeffrey Epstein is seen with a green facial mask in an undated photo released in the latest batch of images from the U.S. Justice Department
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
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effrey Epstein takes a selfie in an undated image released by the U.S. Department of Justice
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
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A stuffed tiger is seen in Jeffrey Epstein’s residence in a photo released as part of the U.S. Justice Department’s recent document dump
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
The Justice Department said it would continue releasing additional documents in the coming days and weeks, aiming to complete the process by year’s end. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said officials conducted a “comprehensive review” that identified 1,200 victims and their families. One of the documents released includes Epstein’s “masseuse list,” containing 254 names—all redacted.
As with earlier batches, the newly released materials offer no major revelations. Many of the photos center on Clinton, who has long faced scrutiny for his ties to Epstein. In light of the renewed attention, Trump recently directed the Justice Department to investigate Clinton’s and other Democrats’ connections to the disgraced financier.
Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private jet but has consistently denied any knowledge of criminal activity. Some of the new images show him posing with young women, whose faces were redacted. According to the Justice Department, the redactions could indicate that the women were victims, but reports suggest there may be additional reasons for the blackouts, and their presence does not necessarily imply they were abused.
The Trump administration was quick to highlight images from the newly released Epstein documents showing Clinton with redacted faces of women. In one photo, Clinton is seen nude in a jacuzzi. Justice Department spokesperson Gates McGwick shared the image on X, claiming the black square in the photo was used to obscure the face of a "victim" seated beside the former president. White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt reposted the image with the caption: “😳 Oh my.”
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Former President Bill Clinton relaxes in a jacuzzi in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice. A black box obscures the identity of another person in the image
(Photo: AFP PHOTO / US Department of Justice)
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Former President Bill Clinton is seen swimming in a pool alongside Ghislaine Maxwell and another unidentified woman, whose face is redacted, in a photo released by the Justice Department
(Photo: DOJ Epstein files)
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Former President Bill Clinton poses with a woman whose face is redacted in a photo taken aboard a private jet
(Photo: DOJ Epstein files)
Another photo circulated by administration officials shows Clinton swimming in a pool alongside Ghislaine Maxwell and another woman, whose face was also blacked out.
Clinton spokesperson Angel Ureña issued another denial Friday, rejecting any implication of wrongdoing and accusing the administration of using the release to deflect attention from other, more damaging material it is allegedly trying to suppress. “The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” he wrote on X. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.”
He also referenced a recent interview with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who admitted that Trump had been “wrong” to link Clinton directly to Epstein’s crimes.
“There are two types of people here," Ureña added. "The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that. Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.” Ureña clarified that his comments were personal and not an official statement on Clinton’s behalf.
Trump has remained silent following the document release, and his appearances in the newly published material are minimal. According to the Associated Press, the images in which he does appear had already been made public. One photo shows pictures of Trump inside a drawer, possibly in Epstein’s Manhattan mansion. In one of the images, Trump is seen with young women, including one in a bikini. Other photos from the mansion also surfaced, including one showing a camera in the corner of Epstein’s bedroom, described by the Daily Mail as a “hidden camera.”
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A collection of old photographs, including several of Donald Trump with women, found in a drawer at Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan residence. These images were previously known and released as part of the DOJ disclosure
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A view of Jeffrey Epstein’s bedroom, with a security camera circled in red, as seen in a photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Daily Mail described the device as a 'hidden camera'
CNN questioned the conspicuous lack of new images of Trump in the latest batch given his longtime friendship with Epstein. Just this week, The New York Times published an in-depth investigation into their ties, documenting a close relationship from the late 1990s through the early 2000s. Former Epstein employees and women who spent time at his home recalled that Trump and Epstein visited each other frequently, spoke often by phone and openly talked about sex. “They pursued women in a game of ego and dominance. Female bodies were currency,” the report claimed.
Trump continues to deny any involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. While a recently revealed email from Epstein mentions that one of his victims, Virginia Giuffre, had “spent hours at my house” with Trump, Giuffre herself had previously testified that she never witnessed any sexual misconduct by Trump. Giuffre died by suicide earlier this year.
Among the thousands of newly released images are photos of other celebrities who once socialized with Epstein, including the late pop star Michael Jackson, who also faced past allegations of child abuse. One photo shows Jackson alongside Clinton and singer Diana Ross. Another shows Epstein posing with legendary CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, who died in 2009. There is no evidence any of them were involved in Epstein’s criminal activity.
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Jeffrey Epstein, left, poses with Michael Jackson in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
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Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross pose together in an undated image released as part of the Department of Justice’s disclosure of Jeffrey Epstein files. The faces of other individuals have been redacted
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
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Jeffrey Epstein is seen shirtless at his residence in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice. A partially visible leg next to him has sparked speculation online, though no confirmation has been provided about the individual’s identity
One image that sparked online speculation shows Epstein shirtless on a couch, with a slender leg partially visible beside him. It is unclear whose leg it is. “There’s a freaking toddler in the new Epstein files. Disgusting animal,” one X user posted, though no confirmation has been provided that the leg belongs to a minor.
The documents also reinforce longstanding criticism of how law enforcement handled the case. Epstein was first arrested in 2006, but one complaint newly released dates back to 1996. The victim’s name was redacted, but her lawyer confirmed it was Maria Farmer, who has spoken publicly in recent years about her time working for Epstein.
Farmer testified that while she was at Epstein’s home during that period, Trump once visited and looked at her, and specifically at her legs, in a way that made her uncomfortable, until Epstein reportedly entered the room and told him, “No, she’s not here for you.” She stressed that Trump never assaulted her and that she never saw him behave inappropriately toward other women.
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Ghislaine Maxwell embraces illusionist David Copperfield in a bathrobe in an undated photo included in the Justice Department’s release
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
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Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sit together in an undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence
(Photo: U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS)
Farmer previously said she filed complaints against Epstein and Maxwell nearly 30 years ago. A newly released FBI document describes her allegation that Epstein stole photos of her underage sisters. “Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers,” the report says. “Epstein at one time requested (redacted) to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools. Epstein is now threatening (redacted) that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.”
Farmer’s sister, Annie, who also accused Ghislaine Maxwell of sexually assaulting her, condemned the delays in the investigation. She said the inaction enabled Epstein to abuse additional girls. “Just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time — and how many people were harmed after that date?” she told CNN. “We’ve been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way has been very emotional.”