Trump Administration Releases First Batch Of Epstein Files Featuring Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson

The US Department of Justice on Friday released the first cache of long-awaited documents related to its investigations into the illegal activities of disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The department released nearly 300,000 pages of documents as it faced a legal deadline on Friday following months of pressure on US President Donald Trump from both outside and within his party, prompting him to sign the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law on November 19 that was overwhelmingly approved by Congress.

The newly released files make scant reference to Donald Trump, but extensively feature former US president Bill Clinton, along with musicians Diana Ross, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson. Other high-profile figures include former UK

Prince Andrew, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, actor Kevin Spacey and British tycoon Richard Branson.

The documents also contain redactions, many of which may not be made public if they relate to an active criminal probe or contain images of abuse. At least seven pages listing the names of 254 masseuses were blacked out, while another file contained dozens of censored images showing naked or scantily-dressed figures.

Featuring in the images that are related to Jeffrey Epstein are not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those who have been identified in other images or documents have denied wrongdoing or involvement in Epstein’s illegal activities.

Extensive Focus On Bill Clinton

The US Department of Justice sought to draw attention to Clinton after Trump said he would direct authorities to probe the former president’s connections with Epstein. Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said the White House was attempting to “shield themselves” from scrutiny by focusing on the Democratic ex-president.

In the new images, Clinton can be seen in a swimming pool with Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell and another person whose face is blacked out. In another image, he can be seen in a hot tub with what appears to be another person whose face is blacked out. Clinton has previously expressed regret for socialising with Epstein and said he was not aware of any criminal activity.

Clinton was photographed with Epstein several times over the 1990s and early 2000s, before the disgraced financier was first arrested. In 2019, a spokesperson said the former president “knows nothing about the terrible crimes” Epstein pleaded guilty to.

Many of the files were heavily redacted, and the Justice Department acknowledged that it was still reviewing hundreds of thousands of additional pages for possible release. There were more than 1,200 victims or their relatives whose names must be redacted from the files, said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a letter to Congress.

Scarce Mention Of Trump

One of the biggest talking points of the Epstein probe was how prominently Trump would feature in the files, given his close relationship with the disgraced financier in the 1990s and early 2000s before a fallout between them. The newly released files attracted attention for hardly mentioning the Republican president.

There was a single photo of Epstein appearing to hold a check with Trump’s name on it, and a separate photo taken inside Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse where a copy of Trump’s 1997 book, ‘Trump: The Art of the Comeback’, was tucked inside a bookshelf. Trump’s name appeared in flight manifests listing passengers on Epstein’s private plane that were also included in a first batch of material the Justice Department released in February.

The White House said the release demonstrated its transparency and commitment to justice for Epstein’s victims, criticising previous Democratic administrations for not doing the same. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson says the Trump administration is “the most transparent in history”.

Many Trump voters had accused his administration of covering up Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and obscuring details surrounding his death in a Manhattan jail, where he was awaiting trial on charges of trafficking and abusing underage girls.

Lawmakers Cry Foul

Several Democratic lawmakers criticised the Trump administration for failing to release all the files. “This set of heavily redacted documents released by the Department of Justice today is just a fraction of the whole body of evidence,” said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, saying 119 pages of one document were completely redacted.

Republican US Representative Thomas Massie, a driving force behind the legislation to release the Epstein files, said on X that Friday’s release “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.”

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna also said the DOJ’s “document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law”, adding that he and Massie are exploring legal options.

“Now the coverup is out in the open. This is far from over. Everyone involved will have to answer for this. Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, whole admin. Protecting a bunch of rapists and pedophiles because they have money, power, and connections. Bondi should resign tonight,” said US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

(with inputs from agencies)