Why it matters: The long-expected, partially-redacted archive delivers on a campaign promise that roiled President Trump’s MAGA base.
The full trove of documents is accessible here.
What they’re saying: “The Trump administration is providing levels of transparency that prior administrations never even contemplated,” the DOJ said on X Friday.
Yes, but: Some pages of the files are expected to be redacted.
- Some of the omissions are to protect Epstein’s survivors and other private information.
- The administration was also allowed to redact the files to protect ongoing investigations, such as the probe into former President Bill Clinton’s and former Harvard president Larry Summers’ connections to Epstein.
- There’s also a carve out for “national security” concerns, which gives the department wide latitude on what was published.
Context: The release was required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress near-unanimously. Trump ultimately signed it into law after he failed to convince Republicans to abandon the effort.
- The bill required the documents be released by Dec. 19.
The Justice Department released thousands of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, making public documents and videos collected during the federal investigation.
The long-awaited release follows a campaign promise that energized President Trump’s political base and marks a significant transparency move by the administration. The full collection of documents has been made publicly accessible, though some material remains redacted.
In a statement posted on X, the Justice Department said the Trump administration is providing a level of transparency that previous administrations never pursued.
Despite the scope of the release, portions of the files have been withheld. Redactions were made to protect Epstein’s survivors, safeguard private personal information, and preserve ongoing investigations. These include probes into alleged connections between Epstein and figures such as former President Bill Clinton and former Harvard president Larry Summers. The department also cited national security concerns as grounds for additional redactions.
The disclosure was mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which passed Congress with near-unanimous support. Although President Trump initially attempted to persuade Republicans to drop the legislation, he ultimately signed it into law. The act required the Justice Department to release the documents by Dec. 19.