Washington (United States) (AFP) – The US Justice Department will release several hundred thousand documents Friday from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a top official said, with more files in the politically explosive case to be published over coming weeks. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in an interview with “Fox and Friends,” also said that no new charges were imminent in a scandal that continues to convulse America. Prosecutors have the latitude to withhold material related to active investigations, and Blanche said the documents will also be painstakingly redacted to protect the identities of Epstein’s hundreds of victims.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with ties to global elites, died in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death — ruled a suicide — fueled conspiracy theories and demands for accountability in a case that sits at the crossroads of immense wealth, political influence, and perceived impunity. President Donald Trump, once a close friend of Epstein, fought for months to prevent the release of the Epstein files held by the Justice Department. However, on November 19, he caved to pressure from Congress, including from his Republican Party, and signed a law compelling publication of the materials within 30 days. Friday is the deadline for the release of the long-awaited records.
“I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today,” Blanche said. “So today, several hundred thousand and then over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.” As of today, there’s no new charges coming, but we are investigating,” he added.
– ‘Cover up’ –
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the partial release, saying “the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some.” “People want the truth and continue to demand the immediate release of all the Epstein files,” Schumer said in a statement. “This is nothing more than a cover up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past.”
For Trump, the moment carries enormous personal and political sensitivity. Trump and his allies have repeatedly claimed that prominent Democrats and Hollywood figures were protected from accountability, framing the Epstein scandal as proof that money and influence can subvert the justice system. But the president himself once counted Epstein among his social companions, moving in the same Palm Beach and New York milieus in the 1990s and appearing together at parties for years. The president severed ties with Epstein years before the 2019 arrest and is not accused of wrongdoing in the case.
After returning to office, and acquiring the unilateral authority to publish the files, Trump dismissed the years-long push for transparency that he had once encouraged as a “Democrat hoax.” He fought Congress over its drive to get the records out in public, but relented and signed the Epstein files act once a sweeping bipartisan consensus made opposition untenable.
For the public and for survivors, the release of the files marks the clearest opportunity yet to shed light on the scandal. The newly released records could clarify how Epstein operated, who assisted him, and whether prominent individuals benefited from institutional restraint. The law requires the unsealing of extensive internal correspondence, investigative files, and court documents that have previously remained sealed or inaccessible. They may reveal new associates and clarify why prosecutors stalled for years, but expectations of a “client list” are likely misplaced, with the Justice Department saying no such roster exists.
Trump recently ordered investigations into Democrats linked to Epstein, prompting speculation that those inquiries could be cited as justification for withholding records. Epstein amassed powerful allies, maintained luxury properties where abuse allegedly occurred, and secured a hugely contentious 2008 plea deal in a separate case that critics say may have protected unnamed coconspirators. Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is the only person to have been charged in connection with his activities. The former British socialite is serving a 20-year prison sentence for offenses including sex trafficking a minor.
© 2024 AFP
