US President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill that orders the US Justice Department to release government files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The legislation requires that all unclassified records, investigative documents, and communications regarding Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell be made public within 30 days, although certain materials may be withheld if they relate to ongoing investigations or violate personal privacy protections.
The announcement marks a significant shift in Trump’s previous stance. Until recently, he had dismissed calls for the release as a Democratic “hoax” aimed at diverting attention from his party. Following pressure from Epstein’s victims and members of his own Republican Party, Trump reversed his position, signing the bill after it overwhelmingly cleared both the House and Senate earlier this week. The House passed the measure with a 427-1 vote, while the Senate granted unanimous consent.
The files expected to be released encompass materials from criminal investigations, including interviews with victims and witnesses, property seizure records, internal Justice Department communications, flight logs, and information on individuals and entities connected to Epstein. These documents differ from the more than 20,000 pages of estate documents released by Congress last week, which included messages from Epstein mentioning Trump.
Epstein, who died in a New York prison cell in 2019 in a death ruled as suicide, had been facing sex trafficking charges at the time. He was previously convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008. Over the years, Epstein maintained associations with numerous high-profile figures, including former Harvard president Larry Summers, former White House advisor Steve Bannon, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and Trump himself. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, stating publicly that he and Epstein fell out years before Epstein’s first arrest.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, responsible for overseeing the release, retains discretion to withhold information that could compromise active investigations or reveal the identities of victims. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the bill’s authors, expressed concerns that withheld files could be used as a pretext to limit transparency.
Victims’ families have hailed the bill as a milestone. The family of Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year, described Trump’s signing of the legislation as “nothing short of monumental” and emphasized the importance of holding all individuals accountable, “regardless of power, wealth, or party affiliation.”
The release of these files is expected to shed further light on Epstein’s network of operations, potentially revealing new details about co-conspirators and high-profile associates while reinforcing ongoing public and legal scrutiny surrounding one of the most notorious sex trafficking cases in recent US history.
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