The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has released multiple batches of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein since December 19, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump. The law mandated full disclosure by December 19, but the DOJ has cited victim privacy reviews for ongoing staggered releases and extensive redactions.
The third batch, dropped early December 23, includes nearly 30,000 pages—over 10,000 files totaling more than 10 gigabytes—of photos, court records, FBI documents, emails, flight logs, subpoenas, and investigative materials.
Key revelations from recent releases:
- Trump mentions and flights: Hundreds of references to President Trump, mostly from news clippings and internal communications. A 2020 prosecutor email notes Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least eight times in the 1990s (1993–1996), including four with Ghislaine Maxwell, and sometimes with family members (e.g., Marla Maples, Eric, and Tiffany Trump). Destinations included Palm Beach, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Subpoenas were issued to Mar-a-Lago for employment records linked to victim Virginia Giuffre (who once worked there). Trump has denied wrongdoing, distanced himself from Epstein, and no allegations of criminal conduct appear.
- Fake letter to Larry Nassar: A handwritten letter purportedly from Epstein to convicted abuser Larry Nassar, referencing shared “love” for “young, nubile girls” and the “President.” The DOJ quickly confirmed it as fake, citing mismatched handwriting, postmark, and jail details.
- Prince Andrew details: Prosecutors believed the former prince “engaged in sexual conduct” with a victim; additional probes into his activities.
- Photos and associations: Images of Epstein with Bill Clinton (including previously unseen ones, e.g., hot tub), Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Walter Cronkite, and others. Many photos were already public; presence does not imply wrongdoing.
- Other items: Epstein’s fake Austrian passport; blueprint of his Manhattan townhouse; disputes over subpoenas (e.g., to Amazon); a photo of Trump and Maxwell from Steve Bannon’s phone.
No “client list” or blackmail evidence: Consistent with a July 2025 DOJ memo, no incriminating client roster, blackmail materials, or basis for new charges against uncharged parties has emerged.
Criticism and backlash:
- Heavy redactions (entire pages blacked out, faces obscured) have drawn bipartisan fire, with some digitally recoverable via copy-paste or Photoshop, suggesting hasty processing.
- Lawmakers like Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and victims accuse the DOJ of violating the law’s transparency intent, protecting powerful figures, or cover-ups. Threats of contempt proceedings and calls for unredacted releases persist.
- Survivors express frustration over navigation difficulties and inadequate victim protections in some files.
- The DOJ defends redactions as necessary for privacy and ongoing reviews, stating no protections for “politically exposed persons” and labeling some claims “untrue/sensationalist.”
Releases continue into late December. No new charges announced; investigations remain closed per prior findings.
NYT, CNN, POLITICO, NPR, Reuters, CBS News, NBC News
