Unraveling the Epstein Files: A Legislative Turn
The words Epstein files have been haunting the administration of US President Donald Trump for months as it grapples with a growing crisis over the crimes of late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Pressure was building from Trump's own supporters and from voices within his own Republican Party for more transparency on what the federal investigations into Epstein uncovered.
After weeks of resisting release, Trump reversed course and urged Republicans to vote to open the Epstein files to public scrutiny.
Both chambers of Congress - the legislative branch of US government - approved a measure that compels the US Justice Department to release all files pertaining to its investigation into Epstein.
The following day, Trump announced in a social media post that he had signed a bill that approved the release of the files.
Now, the Justice Department has 30 days to release all the files - except for those that relate to an active criminal investigation, identify victims of Epstein's abuse or invade their privacy, or contain images of physical and child sex abuse, death, or injury.
What are the Epstein files?
In 2008, Epstein reached a plea deal with prosecutors after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home. Photos of girls were found throughout the house, and he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender. He escaped a heavy jail sentence as a result of the deal.
Eleven years later, he was charged with running a network of underage girls for sex. He died in prison while awaiting trial and his death was ruled a suicide. These two criminal investigations amassed a vast trove of documents including transcripts of interviews with victims and witnesses, and items confiscated from raids on his various properties.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) found over 300 gigabytes of data and physical evidence in its databases, hard drives, and other storage, according to a 2025 memo from the Justice Department.
What has already been released on Epstein?
At various stages over the years, some materials have been put into the public domain.
Last week, thousands of documents belonging to the Epstein estate were released, mostly emails.
What happens now that Trump has approved the release?
The vote in the House of Representatives was forced by a discharge petition. Four Republicans and all 214 Democrats in the House signed the petition.
Once the bill passed in the lower chamber of Congress, it swiftly moved to the Senate where it passed via unanimous consent - a procedure that speeds up the legislative process if there is no objection. It was then signed off by Trump.
Who is named in the Epstein files?
The contents of the unreleased documents remain unknown.
What do we know about the Trump/Epstein relationship?
Trump and Epstein appear to have been friends for a number of years, keeping a similar social circle.
Why are people so interested in Epstein?
Die-hard members of Trump's MAGA movement have long believed officials are hiding key truths about Epstein's life and death. Some have theorized that a child-molesting cabal has been operating at the highest levels of US society, protected by the state. There are several unanswered questions about Epstein shared by the wider population too - particularly why he was given such a lenient sentence in Florida, whether he and Maxwell were really acting alone, and how he was allowed to take his own life in prison.
