") no-repeat center center;background-size:10px 16px;content:' '}@media(min-width:768px){.egqDdf::before{display:none}}.hzcAyL{min-height:389px;margin-bottom:16px;clear:both}@media(min-width:1000px){.hzcAyL{min-height:380px}}@media(min-width:1000px){.iZGsHB .taboola{display:none}}.iZGsHB:has(#taboola-carousel-thumbnails){min-height:426px}.iZGsHB:has(#taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-crime){min-height:405px}@media(min-width:1000px){.iZGsHB:has(#taboola-carousel-thumbnails),.iZGsHB:has(#taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-crime){min-height:0}}.fLVhoJ .tp-container-inner,.fLVhoJ .sc-1suqprf-0{position:relative;box-shadow:0 -22px 16px 22px rgba(255,255,255,0.95);box-shadow:0 -22px 16px 22px light-dark(rgba(255,255,255,0.95),rgba(0,0,0,0.95))}.fLVhoJ.closed{display:none}.hVIqlZ{width:32px}.hVIqlZ,.hVIqlZ:focus{color:#627aac;color:light-dark(#627aac,#627aac)}.hVIqlZ:hover,.hVIqlZ:active,.hVIqlZ:focus-visible{color:#9cabcb;color:light-dark(#9cabcb,#9cabcb)}@media(min-width:768px){.hVIqlZ.mobile-only{display:none}}.bnFTrl{width:32px}.bnFTrl,.bnFTrl:focus{color:#4e4e4e;color:light-dark(#4e4e4e,#4e4e4e)}.bnFTrl:hover,.bnFTrl:active,.bnFTrl:focus-visible{color:#919191;color:light-dark(#919191,#919191)}@media(min-width:768px){.bnFTrl.mobile-only{display:none}}.dtuElZ{width:32px}.dtuElZ,.dtuElZ:focus{color:#25d366;color:light-dark(#25d366,#25d366)}.dtuElZ:hover,.dtuElZ:active,.dtuElZ:focus-visible{color:#66e093;color:light-dark(#66e093,#66e093)}@media(min-width:768px){.dtuElZ.mobile-only{display:none}}.geQZNt{width:32px}.geQZNt,.geQZNt:focus{color:#ec1a2e;color:light-dark(#ec1a2e,#ec1a2e)}.geQZNt:hover,.geQZNt:active,.geQZNt:focus-visible{color:#f58992;color:light-dark(#f58992,#f58992)}@media(min-width:768px){.geQZNt.mobile-only{display:none}}.fMVKDn{display:flex;gap:12px}.kHbRaW .sc-17yxc4y-0{display:none}.kHbRaW:hover .sc-17yxc4y-0,.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved .sc-17yxc4y-0{display:block}.kHbRaW:hover .sc-17yxc4y-1,.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved .sc-17yxc4y-1{display:none}.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved .sc-17yxc4y-0{display:block}.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved .sc-17yxc4y-1{display:none}.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved:hover .sc-17yxc4y-0{display:none}.kHbRaW.bookmark-button-saved:hover .sc-17yxc4y-1{display:block}.LrqJk{display:inline-block;width:32px;height:32px;color:#70a5a7;color:light-dark(#70a5a7,#70a5a7)}.gsHIni{display:flex;flex-direction:row;justify-content:center;gap:12px}.jTEZjg{display:flex;position:relative;justify-content:center}@media(min-width:768px){.jTEZjg{justify-content:flex-end;padding-top:12px;margin:0}}.laxBOB{display:flex}.sticky .laxBOB{flex-direction:column}.hDXmfN{overflow:hidden;height:23px;margin-bottom:8px;border-bottom:0;clear:both}@media(min-width:768px){.hDXmfN{height:25px}}.jGyHqZ{display:inline-block;flex-shrink:0;margin:0 12px 0 0;font:bold 14px/normal 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}.jGyHqZ::after{content:':'}.bsdbXr{display:inline-block;margin-right:12px;margin-bottom:4px;color:#222;color:light-dark(#222,#fff);font:normal 14px/1.29 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif;text-decoration:underline}.bsdbXr::first-letter {text-transform:capitalize}@media(min-width:1000px){.subscribed .eWQiqu{margin-top:-184px}.article-feature:not(.article-feature-video) .subscribed .eWQiqu{margin-top:-407px}}.eWQiqu>p{margin:16px 0}.article-premium .eWQiqu>p{line-height:27px}.eWQiqu>h2{font-size:21px}.article-climate .eWQiqu>h2{color:#ec1a2e;color:light-dark(#ec1a2e,#ec1a2e)}.article-sgi .eWQiqu>h2{color:#ec1a2e;color:light-dark(#ec1a2e,#ec1a2e)}.eWQiqu>p:first-child{margin-top:0}.eWQiqu span:first-child~p:first-of-type{margin-top:0}.gCqUwG{display:flex;position:relative;max-width:100%;min-height:600px;justify-content:center;margin:0 auto;background-color:transparent;clear:both}@media(min-width:1000px){.gCqUwG{min-height:450px}}.teads .gCqUwG{display:block}.gCqUwG [data-mpu]{position:sticky;top:16px}@media(min-width:1000px){.jcsUho{display:none}}.jcsUho[data-mpu1]{min-height:600px}.jcsUho.pb-20{padding-bottom:20px}.bnnSMt{display:inline-block;flex-shrink:0;border-radius:50%;background:#ec1a2e;background:light-dark(#ec1a2e,#ec1a2e);color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#fff)}.dyOTMk{display:flex;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;margin:0 0 16px;border:1px solid #d3d3d3;border:1px solid light-dark(#d3d3d3,#919191)}.ctojrZ{box-sizing:border-box;flex:1;padding:12px 16px 12px 12px}@media(min-width:595px){.ctojrZ{padding-bottom:8px}}.eSMJoa{width:135px}.eSMJoa img{object-fit:cover}@media(max-width:594px){.eSMJoa{display:none}}.hQdxjk{display:flex;align-items:center;gap:28px}.hyDlTi{margin:0;color:#222;color:light-dark(#222,#fff)}.jbHTit{display:none;font:bold 16px/19.2px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif}@media(min-width:595px){.jbHTit{display:block}}.enAvqf{font:bold 20px/24px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif}@media(min-width:595px){.enAvqf{display:none}}.bOSXQc{display:none;font:bold 20px/24px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif}.bSxdBx{display:none}.fBEvvh{align-self:flex-start;margin-left:auto}.tuUlp{display:flex;gap:16px;margin-top:4px}.nkzAb{--input-height:38px;width:100%;margin:0}.nkzAb label,.nkzAb label+span{position:absolute;overflow:hidden;width:.01em;height:.01em;padding:0;border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);white-space:nowrap}.gJJjCf{height:38px;margin:8px 0 16px}.gUEecR{--color:#646464;--check-border-color:#919191}@supports(color:light-dark(red,red)){.gUEecR{--color:light-dark(#646464,#bdbdbd)}}@supports(color:light-dark(red,red)){.gUEecR{--check-border-color:light-dark(#919191,#646464)}}.cVnlb{margin-block:0;font:normal 9px/13px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}.bNYvfb h2{letter-spacing:-0.5px}.bXaOEb{display:flex;min-height:600px;justify-content:center}@media(min-width:1000px){.bXaOEb{min-height:450px}}.dlrgtE{min-height:600px}@media(min-width:1000px){.dlrgtE{min-height:450px}}.dlrgtE.mobile-only{display:block}@media(min-width:1000px){.dlrgtE.mobile-only{display:none}}.dlrgtE.desktop-only{display:none}@media(min-width:1000px){.dlrgtE.desktop-only{display:block;margin-bottom:16px}}.dlrgtE.desktop-only+p{margin-top:0}.dlrgtE .third-party-ad{position:sticky;top:16px}.fhuRbW{width:100%;flex-grow:1}.fhuRbW .social-share{width:100%;padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:20px}@media(min-width:768px){.fhuRbW .social-share{justify-content:flex-start}}.fhuRbW .social-share.sticky{display:none}@media(min-width:1000px){.fhuRbW .social-share.sticky{display:flex;position:sticky;top:14px;width:34px;flex-direction:column;padding-top:0;margin-top:0;margin-left:-25%}.fhuRbW .social-share.sticky .sc-mgcah7-0{margin:0 0 16px}.article-feature-video .fhuRbW .social-share.sticky{margin-top:0}.article-feature:not(.article-feature-video) .fhuRbW .social-share.sticky{margin-top:35%}}.fhuRbW.sponsored-article img,.fhuRbW.sponsored-article video{width:100%;max-width:602px;height:auto}.fhuRbW.sponsored-article iframe{max-width:602px;max-height:400px}.fhuRbW .under-article-prompt-donations{padding-bottom:8px;margin-top:-3px}.fhuRbW .big-letter{--color:#222;display:flex;position:relative;width:0;height:0;align-items:center;justify-content:center;padding:40px;margin-top:22px;margin-right:12px;border:1px solid var(--color);float:left;font:normal 52px/1 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif;text-transform:uppercase}.fhuRbW .big-letter:first-child{margin-top:6px}.fhuRbW .big-letter::before{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid var(--color);border-radius:50%;content:''}.fhuRbW #taboola-below-article-1{min-height:2350px}@media(min-width:768px){.fhuRbW #taboola-below-article-1{min-height:3370px}}.fhuRbW #taboola-below-article-1-split-num-1{min-height:130px}@media(min-width:768px){.fhuRbW #taboola-below-article-1-split-num-1{min-height:415px}}.fhuRbW .sc-fwko30-0+.sc-1xtsh2b-0{margin-top:-16px}@media(min-width:768px){.fhuRbW{max-width:636px;margin:0}}@media(min-width:1000px){.fhuRbW{max-width:624px;margin:0}.fhuRbW.subscribed{max-width:636px}}@media(max-width:999px){.fhuRbW{padding-right:0}.fhuRbW .under-article-prompt-donations{margin-top:-18px}}.fhuRbW .anchor-nav-header{scroll-margin-top:79px}.fhuRbW .anchor-nav-header a{color:#222;color:light-dark(#222,#fff)}.fhuRbW .anchor-nav-header a:hover{color:#222;color:light-dark(#222,#fff)}@supports(color:light-dark(red,red)){.fhuRbW .big-letter{--color:light-dark(#222,#fff)}}.cWTNvs{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;margin-bottom:8px;color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#bdbdbd);font:normal 16px/20px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}@media(min-width:768px){.cWTNvs{width:70%;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-start;margin-bottom:0;font:normal 16px/24px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}}@media(min-width:1000px){.cWTNvs{width:70%;margin-bottom:0}}.hWBwna{display:flex;height:20px;margin:0 12px 8px 0}.article-voices .hWBwna{height:auto}@media(min-width:425px){.article-voices .hWBwna{height:20px}}.hWBwna::before{display:inline-block;align-self:center;margin-top:1px;margin-right:12px;content:'\2022';transform:scale(1.5)}.hWBwna:first-child::before{content:none}@media(min-width:768px){.hWBwna{height:24px;margin-bottom:0}.hWBwna::before{margin-top:2px}}.hWBwna time{display:block}.hWBwna time::first-letter {text-transform:capitalize}.iJtxXk{display:inline-block;margin:0 12px 8px 0;color:#ef4757;color:light-dark(#ef4757,#ec1a2e);font:bold 16px/20px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif;letter-spacing:-0.5px}.iJtxXk:hover,.iJtxXk:active{color:#f58992;color:light-dark(#f58992,#ac2a2c)}@media(min-width:768px){.iJtxXk{margin-bottom:0}}.pYMAz{margin:0 12px 8px -8px}@media(min-width:768px){.pYMAz{margin-bottom:0}}.euvwNP{margin:0 4px 8px 0}.euvwNP::before{display:inline-block;margin-top:2px;margin-right:12px;color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#bdbdbd);content:'\2022';transform:scale(1.5)}.euvwNP:first-child::before{display:none}@media(min-width:768px){.euvwNP{margin-bottom:0}}.fkbzZm{display:flex;justify-content:flex-start;padding:0;margin:0 0 16px}@media(min-width:768px){.fkbzZm{display:flex;width:30%;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;margin:0}}@media(min-width:1000px){.fkbzZm{width:30%}}.eTZxgZ{padding-top:0;border-top:0;border-bottom:0}@media(min-width:768px){.eTZxgZ{display:flex;flex-flow:row wrap;padding-bottom:16px}.eTZxgZ .sc-mzrbq8-0{order:1}.eTZxgZ .sc-mzrbq8-6{order:2}}@media(min-width:1000px){.eTZxgZ{flex-direction:row}}.bVKiLw{padding:16px 12px 12px;text-align:left;font:bold 14px/18px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}@media(min-width:768px){.bVKiLw{padding:16px 16px 12px}}.article-infact .bVKiLw{padding:16px 0}@media(min-width:1000px){.bVKiLw{padding:24px 0 19px}.article-feature .bVKiLw{max-width:968px;margin:0 auto}}.bVKiLw a{color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#fff)}.bVKiLw a:hover{color:#f58992;color:light-dark(#f58992,#f58992)}.bVKiLw a:hover::after{color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#fff)}.bVKiLw a::after{margin-right:4px;margin-left:4px;content:'>'}.bVKiLw a:last-child::after{display:none}.hMldFc{margin:0 0 20px;letter-spacing:0}.cFDphy{margin:0;color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#bdbdbd);font:normal 16px/20px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}@media(min-width:768px){.cFDphy{font:normal 18px/22px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}}@media(min-width:1000px){.cFDphy{font:normal 20px/24px 'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif}}.cFDphy p{font:inherit}.article-feature .cFDphy a{font-weight:bold}.gHvZoJ{max-width:968px;margin:0 auto;background:#222;background:light-dark(#222,#000)}@media(min-width:1000px){.gHvZoJ{padding:0 16px}.parallax .gHvZoJ{max-width:1240px}}.Rdknw{font:bold 32px/36px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif;letter-spacing:-0.0156em}@media(min-width:768px){.Rdknw{font:bold 44px/48px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif;letter-spacing:-0.0113em}}@media(min-width:1000px){.Rdknw{font:bold 54px/58px 'Indy Serif','Indy Serif Fallback',serif;letter-spacing:-0.0092em}}.cKuFPu{background:#222;background:light-dark(#222,#000)}.cKuFPu .sc-qvufca-1{max-width:968px;background:#222;background:light-dark(#222,#000)}.cKuFPu .sc-qvufca-0{margin:0}@media(max-width:999px){.cKuFPu .sc-qvufca-0{margin:0 12px 0}}.cKuFPu .sc-qvufca-2,.cKuFPu .sc-aeekvc-0{color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#fff)}.cKuFPu .sc-qvufca-2{margin:0 0 20px}.cKuFPu .sc-aeekvc-0{margin-bottom:16px}@keyframes slidedown-video{from{transform:translateY(-100%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}@keyframes slideup-video{from{transform:translateY(200%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}.lnSWRM .video-top-container-inner{position:relative}.lnSWRM .video-popout-close{display:none}.lnSWRM .video-hero-wrapper-inner{display:block}.lnSWRM .video-hero-video{width:100%;margin:0;transition:height .2s}.lnSWRM .video-hero-wrapper.sticky-video{position:fixed;top:95px;width:400px;margin-left:-332px;transition:margin-left .3s,top .3s .1s}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video{position:static;right:0;left:auto;width:100%}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video.liveblog{margin-left:-12px}@media(min-width:768px){.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video{position:absolute;width:400px}}@media(min-width:1000px){.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video{top:94px;right:-56px}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video.liveblog{right:-400px}}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video .video-sticky-video{position:fixed;top:0;left:auto;z-index:9;width:100%;background-color:#fff;background-color:light-dark(#fff,#000);box-shadow:0 0 40px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);box-shadow:0 0 40px 10px light-dark(rgba(0,0,0,0.5),rgba(0,0,0,0.5))}@media(min-width:768px){.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video .video-sticky-video{width:400px;animation:slidedown-video .4s}}@media(min-width:1000px){.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-hero-video .video-sticky-video{top:auto;bottom:0;animation:slideup-video .4s}}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-popout-close{display:none;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;align-items:center;justify-content:flex-end;padding:4px 8px 3px;color:#222;color:light-dark(#222,#fff);cursor:pointer;font-family:'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:14px}@media(min-width:1000px){.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-popout-close{justify-content:flex-start}}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-popout-close::after{display:flex;align-items:center;padding-left:4px;content:'\2715';font-size:12px}.lnSWRM .video-top-container.video.sticky:not(.closed) .video-popout-close.shown{display:flex}.dDZARA{max-width:100%}.dbXKIp{position:relative}.zSKmx{position:relative;width:100%;padding-top:56.25%;background:#000;background:light-dark(#000,#000)}.kTLXBP{display:flex;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;align-items:center;justify-content:center}.kBMMvo{width:10%}.dvUxMP.fullscreen{position:fixed;top:0;left:0;z-index:3000000000;width:100%;height:100%;background:#000;background:light-dark(#000,#000)}.dvUxMP .closebtn{display:none;position:absolute;top:0;right:0;width:100px;height:100px}.dvUxMP .closebtn.show{display:block}.dvUxMP .btn{position:absolute;top:5px;right:5px;width:25px;height:25px;color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#222);font-family:helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:25px;text-align:center}.bpXajI{max-width:100%;clear:both}.iExVwO{overflow:hidden;height:0;color:transparent}.VkEbW{max-width:100%;margin:0 0 20px}.VkEbW.sticky{position:sticky;top:16px}.jpuEXf{min-height:600px}.jpuEXf #mpu1,.jpuEXf #sidebar1{position:sticky;top:16px}.bIVNVq{min-height:250px}.dcXsiQ{max-width:100%}.loNRDw{margin:0 0 6px;color:#646464;color:light-dark(#646464,#bdbdbd);font-family:'Indy Sans','Indy Sans Fallback',sans-serif;font-size:15px}.ezMsnK{margin:0 0 12px}.iIPWMQ{height:380px}.gXoWZo{width:100%;height:51px}.hjNIYD{margin-bottom:16px;border-bottom:1px solid #919191;border-bottom:1px solid light-dark(#919191,#646464)}.vzWDo{margin-bottom:16px}.vzWDo [role='listitem']{position:relative;margin-bottom:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #d3d3d3;border-bottom:1px solid light-dark(#d3d3d3,#919191)}.vzWDo [role='listitem'] .sc-u4n1j-0{display:flex;position:absolute;bottom:16px;left:10px;width:32px;height:32px;align-items:center;justify-content:center;border-radius:50%;background-color:#ec1a2e;background-color:light-dark(#ec1a2e,#ec1a2e)}.vzWDo [role='listitem'] .sc-u4n1j-0>svg{width:90%;fill:#fff;fill:light-dark(#fff,#000);stroke:transparent}.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child{display:block;padding-bottom:0;margin-bottom:12px}.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child .sc-u4n1j-0{top:-15px;bottom:auto;left:12px}.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child>*:first-child{display:block;width:100%;height:205px}.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child>*:last-child{--content-bg:#222;--content-bg-opaque:rgba(34,34,34,0.7);position:absolute;bottom:0;width:100%;padding:28px 12px 12px;background:linear-gradient(to top,var(--content-bg) 70%,var(--content-bg-opaque) 100%) no-repeat;color:#fff;color:light-dark(#fff,#222);font-size:17px;font-weight:bold}.vzWDo [role='listitem']:last-child{margin-bottom:0;border-bottom:0 none}@supports(color:light-dark(red,red)){.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child>*:last-child{--content-bg:light-dark(#222,#000)}}@supports(color:light-dark(red,red)){.vzWDo [role='listitem']:first-child>*:last-child{--content-bg-opaque:light-dark(rgba(34,34,34,0.7),rgba(0,0,0,0.7))}}.clClJO{min-height:1924px}@media(max-width:767px){.clClJO{display:none}}.doEDPw{width:308px}.doEDPw.hidden{display:none}@media(max-width:999px){.doEDPw{display:none}}.article-liveblog .ebbjSB{background-color:#f7f7f7;background-color:light-dark(#f7f7f7,#222)}.ghFVC{justify-content:center}.clCHwE{justify-content:center}
Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Not now Yes please
News World Americas US politics Trump promised ‘full transparency’ over Epstein files. Are more documents coming? Epstein was accused of orchestrating a massive child sex trafficking ring
Related: Virginia Giuffre, prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, dies aged 41
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email President Donald Trump this week addressed an unexpected question from a reporter about whether he intends to release more information on Jeffrey Epstein .
His remarks came just days before Virginia Giuffre, one of the first and most prominent survivors of Epstein’s abuse to speak out, died by suicide.
Epstein, a sex offender accused of orchestrating a massive child sex trafficking ring with his associates , died by suicide in 2019 while in custody on federal sex trafficking charges. He was associated with dozens of celebrities and powerful politicians, bringing international interest to the case.
open image in gallery
President Donald Trump says he doesn’t know when the next round of Epstein files might be released (AP) Much of this interest centered around redacted court documents naming alleged associates and victims known as the “Epstein files.” Attorney General Pam Bondi moved to release some of these documents in February in what she labeled the “first phase” of declassified files — but much of the information was already public.
Trump, when asked by a reporter on April 22 when the public could expect to see the release of more documents, said he would speak to Bondi.
“I don’t know, I’ll speak to the attorney general about that, I really don’t know,” Trump said.
On January 23, Trump signed an executive order directing the declassification of records surrounding the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I do know that we’ve done the RFK, the Kennedy, Martin Luther King is out there very shortly, so we’ll find out,” Trump added. “We’ve really announced we’re doing them in full transparency.”
What did Attorney General Bondi release in ‘phase one’ of the Epstein files? Bondi moved to declassify several documents from Epstein’s criminal prosecution, many of which were already published.
The files previously published pilot logs related to the prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s close associate, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 . The files also included redactions from prosecutors to protect victims. Bondi also published Epstein’s “little black book,” containing names of his alleged associates. However, that too was already published.
One never-before-seen document was an "Evidence List," a catalogue of evidence obtained by investigators.
Items included a “LSJ logbook,” believed to refer to his private island Little St. James, and a CD labelled “girl pics nude book 4.”
open image in gallery
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019 after he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges (New York State Sex Offender Registry) Several big names had already been linked to Epstein through previously released documents, including Trump, Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger.
Bondi had invited several prominent right-wing influencers to the White House — including “Libs of TikTok” owner Chaya Raichik and Republican activist Scott Presler — to see the documents the day they were released.
But virtually all of that information was already public, and many Republicans turned to social media to criticize Bondi.
“GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR instead of leaking old info to press,” far-right Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote on social media at the time.
Luna, who chairs a House Republican-led Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, said the Justice Department did not provide her or her committee with the documents.
“1) If the Epstein files are out, where do we find them? (2) What’s the difference between ‘phase 1’ and ‘phase 2’?” asked Republican Senator Mike Lee. “Will the Epstein files tell us whether he killed himself?”
Far-right influencer Laura Loomer raged that “THERE ARE NO EPSTEIN FILES!!!”
open image in gallery
Attorney General Pam Bondi saw backlash after many realized the ‘first phase’ of the Epstein files released included little new information (REUTERS)
What have officials said about the Epstein files? Bondi said releasing the first-phase documents “sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”
“This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” she added.
Following the release of “phase one,” Bondi reportedly pushed the FBI and her own agency to urgently review and declassify more files, according to ABC News. The FBI enlisted thousands of agents to help with the effort, the outlet reports.
Meanwhile, Trump has vowed to declassify documents in several high-profile cases during his second term .
This includes the release of 2,200 files related to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy, which critics blasted as “just another nothing burger” that revealed little new information.
Trump also promised to release sealed files about the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments