The Epstein files could be made public: After long denials, US President Trump has signed a law releasing the documents. The pressure has recently become too great within his own party.
US President Donald Trump has signed legislation releasing the judicial files in the case of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Republican Party announced this on the Truth Social platform.
The US Senate unanimously approved the bill a day earlier after the House of Representatives approved it by a margin of 427 votes to one. But Trump’s signature is still missing to enact the law. The president had resisted the publication for months before changing his stance at the weekend after increasing pressure from his own party.
30 days for publication
The Justice Department now has 30 days to turn over the file. These are documents from the Department of Justice, the prosecutor’s office and the FBI, which document the investigation into Epstein and also contain information about his arrest. Documents relating to his former confidant and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, will also be made public. Maxwell was found guilty in the scandal and is in prison.
Flight records from Epstein’s private jet including passenger lists – information about the people he traveled with – as well as documents about companies, non-profit organizations or government agencies that may have connections to Epstein must also be released.
However, critics doubt whether it will actually provide the enlightenment many Americans hope for. The law gives special rights to ministries. Information may be withheld or suppressed, “such as personal information about victims and material that would compromise ongoing federal investigations.” Content that endangers national security and is classified as confidential is not required to be published.
The most recent known email
This case had enormous political explosive power in the US. Before his election victory in November 2024, Trump promised to fully disclose Epstein’s archive. However, as these promises have not been kept since he took office in January, the president has come under increasing pressure.
Recently, Democrats published excerpts of emails from Epstein’s estate that included Trump by name. This sparked new speculation about whether and how much Republicans knew about Epstein’s crimes.
Ring of abuse for years
New York financier Epstein was part of high society and had networks in influential circles. For years he ran a network of abuse, which resulted in many young women and minors becoming victims. He himself also committed offenses against them.
After previously being found guilty, the case was then reopened and Epstein was arrested again. He died in his prison cell in 2019 at the age of 66; According to the autopsy report, he committed suicide. His death and his contacts with high society sparked speculation about the possible involvement of influential circles.
