- Files include photographs, grand jury testimony, interview transcripts and prison surveillance video
- Several photos of Bill Clinton featured prominently, drawing White House focus away from Trump ties
- Bipartisan lawmakers accuse administration of violating federal law by missing full release deadline
WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — The DOJ releases partial Epstein files to an online “Epstein Library” Friday afternoon, hours before a congressionally mandated deadline, but the incomplete disclosure immediately drew bipartisan accusations that the administration was violating federal law.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged Friday morning that the Justice Department would not meet the full requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Trump signed last month after near-unanimous congressional approval.
“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 weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”
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The law required Attorney General Pam Bondi to publish “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of enactment.
Democrats Accuse Administration of Violating Law
House Democrats on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees issued a scathing joint statement accusing the Trump administration of breaking federal law by failing to release all documents.
“Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are now violating federal law as they continue covering up the facts and the evidence about Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long, billion-dollar, international sex trafficking ring.”
Ranking members Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Robert Garcia of California said they were “examining all legal options” to force full compliance, including potential lawsuits against the administration.
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the partial release “nothing more than a cover up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past.”
DOJ Releases Partial Epstein Files to Overwhelmed Website
The Justice Department posted the documents to a new webpage titled “Epstein Library” around 4 p.m. ET Friday. The site was immediately overwhelmed by traffic, prompting notices limiting users to 10-minute viewing periods and causing glitches with the search function.
Four data sets were uploaded containing court documents, photographs, grand jury testimony, and interview transcripts related to Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting underage girls for Epstein to abuse.
The files also included surveillance video from inside Metropolitan Correctional Center on the day Epstein died by suicide in August 2019. Flight logs from the Virgin Islands to Palm Beach and handwritten notes asking an unidentified person to collect a “bucket of roses” for someone at a “high school” were also among the released materials.
Many documents contained heavy redactions, including a blacked-out document labeled “Masseuse List” containing more than 250 names. The Justice Department posted a privacy notice stating that “all reasonable efforts have been made to review and redact personal information pertaining to victims.”
Bill Clinton Photos Draw White House Focus
Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in the initial release, with several photographs showing him on a private plane with a woman whose face was redacted, in a swimming pool with Maxwell, and in a hot tub with another redacted individual.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the redacted person in the hot tub photo was “a victim” of Epstein’s sexual abuse. White House officials, including press secretary Karoline Leavitt and top aide Steven Cheung, quickly highlighted the Clinton photos on social media.
Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña accused the administration of using his former boss as a scapegoat.
“They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has been, never will be.”
Ureña said Clinton’s team “knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.”
Bipartisan Frustration Over Incomplete Release
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who led the bipartisan effort to force the transparency vote, posted a reminder on X Friday morning with a screenshot of the law highlighting the words “Not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act.”
“Time’s up. Release the files.”
Massie later said the DOJ’s production “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of four Republicans who signed the discharge petition forcing the House vote, demanded full compliance.
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files? Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
Rep. Ro Khanna of California, the Democratic co-sponsor who worked with Massie to circumvent House leadership, expressed disappointment with the contents, saying the release “seems at very best incomplete.” He warned that Congress could pursue impeachment hearings against Bondi and Blanche if the remaining documents are not released.
Public Dissatisfaction Runs High
A Quinnipiac University poll released this week found widespread discontent with the administration’s handling of the Epstein files. Just 26 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s approach while 65 percent disapproved. The survey of 1,035 registered voters was conducted December 11-15 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed the House 427-1 on November 18, with only Rep. Clay Higgins voting against. The Senate approved it unanimously the following day. Trump signed it into law on November 19 despite having urged Republicans to oppose the legislation, calling demands to release the files a “Democrat hoax.”
Survivors Express Mixed Emotions
Annie Farmer, an Epstein abuse survivor who testified that she was abused when she was 16, said the day brought both triumph and sorrow. Her sister Maria was one of the first to report Epstein’s actions to law enforcement in 1996, and an FBI document released Friday confirmed that early complaint.
“Just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time, and how many people were harmed … we’ve been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way, has been very emotional.”
Other survivors reported frustration navigating the DOJ’s website, struggling to find information about their own abuse and cases amid the massive document dump.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended the release, claiming “the Trump Administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have” and calling the administration “the most transparent in history.”
Blanche said in a letter to Congress that the department had identified 1,200 Epstein victims or relatives and that additional files would be released “by the end of this year” after completing privacy reviews.
When the law says release everything and the government releases only some, who decides what transparency really means?
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