Trump signs bill to release all Epstein files
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has signed a bill mandating the release of all documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The legislation requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to publish all information from its Epstein investigation in a "searchable and downloadable format" within 30 days. Trump had initially opposed releasing the files but reversed his stance last week following pressure from Epstein's victims and members of his own Republican Party.
Legislative approval
Bill passes Congress, Trump accuses Democrats of distraction
The bill was passed by both the House of Representatives and Senate with overwhelming support on Tuesday. The House voted 427-1 in favor, while the Senate passed it by unanimous consent. In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of using this issue as a distraction from his administration's achievements. "Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Epstein, will soon be revealed because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!" he wrote.
File contents
Epstein files include victim and witness interviews
The Epstein files to be released under the legislation include documents from criminal investigations into the financier. These comprise transcripts of interviews with victims and witnesses, as well as items seized during raids on his properties. The files differ from over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein's estate that were released by Congress last week, some of which mention Trump directly.
Denial and connections
Epstein's connections and Trump's denial of wrongdoing
Trump was a longtime acquaintance of Epstein's, but the president claims they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was arrested. Documents released by Democratic members of the House oversight committee included an email from Epstein to former treasury secretary Michael Wolff in which Epstein said, "Of course, he (Trump) knew about the girls....he asked Ghislaine to stop." More emails from Epstein about Trump read, "I have met some very bad people. None as bad as Trump."
Investigation request
Epstein's death and Trump's request for investigation
Ahead of the bill signing, Trump, speaking to reporters on Monday night, said Republicans had "nothing to do with Epstein." "It's really a Democrat problem," he said. "The Democrats were Epstein's friends, all of them." Epstein also had high-profile connections with people like Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles's brother, and former advisor Steve Bannon. Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell in 2019. His death was ruled a suicide by a coroner.