All eyes are on the Jeffrey Epstein files, which must be released on Friday, December 19. As a Friday deadline looms for the Justice Department to publish the trove of documents related to the convicted sex offender, some were impatient, while others were eager to see US President Donald Trump's name cleared.
US lawmakers in Congress had overwhelmingly backed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last month. When Trump signed the act into law on November 19, the clock began ticking on the 30-day deadline for the Justice Department to release most of its files related to investigations of Epstein.
"We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency," Attorney General Pam Bondi said on November 19.
Here's the latest on Epstein files and Friday's deadline:
1. Ahead of a legal deadline for the Justice Department to release documents, Democrats made the new tranche of Epstein photos public on December 18.
Earlier, on December 3, Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee had released pictures from Epstein's private island that show a variety of rooms and items found throughout the island.
Then, on December 12, the House Democrats released 89 images, which included photos of sex toys and bondage gear and, separately, snapshots of Epstein with big names like Trump and former President Bill Clinton.
And on December 18, the same group of lawmakers dropped another batch of images, including some with foreign passports sans identifying information and phrases from the book "Lolita" written on parts of a woman’s body.
2. While it's unclear exactly how or when files will be released, an exception in the law also makes it so that the Justice Department can opt to withhold some documents.
It's known that the release may not be comprehensive, as the agency may have to hold back material that could impact Trump-ordered investigations of Democratic figures who associated with Epstein.
"The department also will protect the identities of any sex-trafficking victims whose names appear in the documents," Bondi had said.
3. Progress has been made on some materials related to Epstein since the law was enacted. On December 10, a US District Court judge in Manhattan ordered the release of records from a grand jury investigation into Epstein.
A day earlier, another judge granted a similar request in the case of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
4. If the files are released, they could contain hundreds of thousands of pages related to investigations into the late sex trafficker, including additional victims’ claims and the names of his high-profile associates, the Guardian reported.
The documents might also reveal how Epstein – who counted Trump and the former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor among his powerful friends – evaded justice for decades.
5. Earlier in February this year, Bondi announced that her office had released Epstein-related files. This initial release, Bondi’s office said, “largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the US government."
