Epstein files finally released by US justice department
The US Department of Justice has released the files it has on Jeffrey Epstein after being legally bound to do so by today (19 December) at the latest.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed through Congress last month, forcing the release of thousands of files, apart from those which would jeopardise current investigations, harm US national security or foreign policy goals or reveal information about Epstein’s victims.
As required by the act, the Department of Justice is legally bound to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' and put these out in 'searchable and downloadable' forms.
The files can be accessed through four separate links, each containing a huge amount of documents to look through. It is not yet clear whether these are the Epstein Files in their entirety or whether there is more to come, and the deadline for releasing some of the files has been missed.
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Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier today on Fox & Friends that the DoJ was planning on releasing the Epstein Files, but that they would not all be made public at once.
He said: "I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today, and those documents will come in all different forms - photographs and other materials associated with all of the investigations into Mr Epstein."
Blanche said people had been 'working tirelessly' to get all the documents reviewed and released to the public, claiming that hundreds of thousands of documents would be released over the coming days.
“I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks. So today, several hundred thousand, and then, over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more," he said.
There are thousands of documents which make up the remainder of the Epstein Files and shine a further light on the actions and dealings of the convicted sex offender who died in 2019.
Some parts of the files have already been made public, as in the weeks running up to the release date, images and documents concerning Epstein had been published by Democrats on the US House Oversight Committee.
They showed disturbing images of Epstein's home, including rooms with a dentist's chair, a board with messages written on it and various bedrooms.
Plenty of photos showing Epstein posing for pictures with famous figures were also released, and among those he stood with were current US president Donald Trump and former president Bill Clinton.
The images released do not depict wrongdoing, nor is it clear when they were taken or by who, while those who have been questioned about potential connections to Epstein have denied wrongdoing.
Various pictures released in the past weeks show recognisable individuals standing alongside people whose faces have been redacted, and the latest images released appeared to show quotations from the book Lolita written on women's bodies.
Looking through the latest release of the files will take time, as there are thousands of documents which have just been made public, and more are expected to come.
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, US News, Politics
Joe Harker