Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released a set of photos obtained from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, revealing a wide range of well-known political, business and academic figures connected to the late convicted sex offender, including President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates and Richard Branson.
According to a CNN report, the 19 images, which the committee said were sourced from Epstein’s property, add further detail to the long-scrutinised web of prominent individuals who had interacted with Epstein over the years.
While many of the men shown have previously been linked to Epstein, the newly released photos illustrate additional moments of contact.
One image shows Trump posing with six women wearing leis, their faces redacted by the committee.
Another features what appears to be a bowl of novelty condoms caricaturing Trump with the label “I’m HUUUUGE!”— items produced by the New York novelty shop Fishs Eddy and listed as political satire in the National Museum of American History’s collection, added the report.
Other photos include Steve Bannon taking a mirror selfie with Epstein; Bill Clinton alongside Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and another couple; and Bill Gates standing with former Prince Andrew. Former Harvard President Larry Summers and attorney Alan Dershowitz also appear in the collection.
None of the images depict sexual misconduct or appear to involve minors, reported CNN.
It remains unclear when or where the photos were taken or who captured them.
The Republican-led committee obtained the photos as part of its ongoing investigation into Epstein’s network. Lawmakers have already released tens of thousands of documents, emails and communications provided by Epstein’s estate, which continue to spur new investigative threads.
In a letter Thursday, attorneys for the estate told the committee it could review requested videos and photographs "taken at any property owned, rented, operated, or used by Epstein from January 1, 1990 through August 10, 2019."
The estate’s attorneys said the latest batch of materials may again include files that are not fully verified.
“Like yesterday’s production, it also includes documents that may not be responsive, but that the Estate was unable to confirm whether they were taken at a property owned, rented, operated, or used by Epstein. The Estate has provided minimal redactions to these photographs; the redactions are limited to nudity,” CNN quoted them as writing.
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told reporters the newly released photos were “significant,” adding that Democrats have reviewed only about a quarter of the 95,000 images received so far.
“I think anything that we release is significant. I think – clearly, I think people should be able to make judgments on their own as to what they see in these photos. For us, this is about transparency,” Garcia told CNN.
In an earlier statement, he argued it was “time to end this White House cover-up and bring justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends.”
“These disturbing photos raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world. We will not rest until the American people get the truth. The Department of Justice must release all the files, NOW,” he added.
A spokesperson for the House Oversight Committee accused Democrats of “cherry-picking photos and making targeted redactions to create a false narrative about President Trump.”
“We received over 95,000 photos and Democrats released just a handful. Democrats’ hoax against President Trump has been completely debunked. Nothing in the documents we’ve received shows any wrongdoing. It is shameful Rep. Garcia and Democrats continue to put politics above justice for the survivors,” CNN quoted the spokesperson as saying.
Clinton, Gates distance themselves from Epstein ties
Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, and his spokesperson has said he cut ties with Epstein long before the financier’s 2019 arrest.
A spokesperson for Gates has repeatedly said Epstein never worked for him. Gates has called meeting Epstein "a huge mistake."
Trump’s long-known social ties to Epstein have never resulted in criminal accusations, and his team has previously described Epstein as a “creep” Trump expelled from Mar-a-Lago.
Friday’s release also included images of sex toys.
Emails released earlier by the committee show Epstein claiming that Trump “spent hours” with accuser Virginia Giuffre and "knew about the girls" Trump and the White House dismissed those claims as a "hoax," with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the emails "prove absolutely nothing."
CNN’s review of Epstein’s emails shows he frequently referenced Trump —sometimes as analysis, sometimes gossip, sometimes to inflate his own importance.
Others linked to Epstein have faced fallout despite no criminal accusations: Summers stepped back from Harvard and resigned from the OpenAI board, calling his past ties “deeply ashamed,” while Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gave up his royal titles and denies wrongdoing.
Under a new law passed last month, the Justice Department must release all Epstein files by December 19. Rep. Thomas Massie, who pushed the measure, warned that failing to comply would be a crime.
Massie said he is “encouraged” by recent DOJ disclosures, while Garcia urged the administration to release files immediately and warned that some unreleased images are “incredibly disturbing.”
“Right now, our plan is to demand that the president release the files… these pictures… some of these photos… are really disturbing. And there are many others,” Garcia said.
