7 things to know about the DOJ’s Epstein files

NEW YORK (AP) — The clock is ticking for the U.S. government to open its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

After months of rancor and recrimination, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed legislation requiring the Justice Department to give the public everything it had on Epstein — and it must be done before Christmas.

Read more: After fighting for months, Trump signed a bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files

But even this may not be enough for the curious and conspiracy-minded.

While there is certainly never-before-seen material in the thousands of pages that will likely be made public, much of the records related to Epstein have already been made public, including by Congress and through lawsuits.

And don’t expect a “client list” of famous men who manipulated Epstein. Although such a list has long been rumored, the Justice Department said in July that it did not exist.

Here’s a look at what’s expected to go public, what hasn’t, and a refresher on how we got to this point:

Who is Jeffrey Epstein?

Epstein was a millionaire money manager known for socializing with celebrities, politicians, billionaires and the academic elite who was accused of sexually assaulting underage girls.

His relationships with powerful men, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton and former British Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, have been the subject of endless fascination and speculation. Neither Trump nor Clinton have been accused of any wrongdoing. Andrew denied abusing anyone.

Read more: Andrew Windsor is no longer officially a prince after the King officially stripped his title over his ties to Epstein

Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. The FBI then joined the investigation, but Epstein cut a secret deal with the US Attorney in Florida to avoid federal charges, enabling him to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state prostitution charge. He spent 13 months in the prison’s work release program.

In 2019, during Trump’s first term, federal prosecutors in Manhattan brought back the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging he sexually assaulted dozens of girls. He committed suicide in prison a month after his arrest.

In 2021, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Epstein’s longtime confidante and ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking for helping him recruit some of his underage victims. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

What’s in the Justice Department’s Epstein files?

Records related to the aborted investigation in Florida, the Manhattan investigation, and anything else the Justice Department did to examine Epstein’s dealings in between.

They may include notes and reports written by FBI agents; Transcripts of interviews with witnesses, photographs, videos and other evidence; Epstein autopsy report; And some materials that may already be publicly available, such as flight logs and travel logs.

He watches: What will happen after Congress votes to release the Epstein files?

The law, called the “Epstein Files Transparency Act,” requires the Justice Department to release all unclassified investigative documents and materials, including files related to immunity deals and internal communications about who should be indicted or investigated.

What may not be released under the law?

Anything that contains the victim’s personally identifiable information.

The law allows the Department of Justice to withhold or redact records that, if made public, would constitute an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.” It is also prohibited to publish any material depicting child sexual abuse, images of death, physical assault, or injury.

This means that if there are videos or photos of Epstein or anyone else sexually abusing underage girls, they cannot be made public.

However, the law also makes clear that no records may be withheld or redacted – which means withholding some parts – simply because their publication might cause embarrassment or damage to the reputation of any public figure, government official or high-ranking foreign figure.

When will the files be publicly available?

The legislation requires the Justice Department to publish the documents in a searchable, downloadable format within 30 days of Trump signing it into law. This means no later than December 19th.

However, the law also allows the Justice Department to withhold files that it says could jeopardize an active federal investigation. This is also long-standing DOJ policy. Files can also be withheld if they are found to be classified or if they relate to national defense or foreign policy.

He watches: “The world will see who was involved” and who was complicit, says the lawyer for Epstein’s survivors

While the investigations into Epstein and Maxwell have long since ended, Attorney General Pam Bondi last week ordered a top federal prosecutor to lead an investigation into people who knew Epstein and some of Trump’s political opponents, including Clinton.

This investigation, which was conducted at Trump’s request even though the Justice Department had previously found no evidence to support such an investigation, could give the government grounds to at least temporarily withhold some of the material.

What about the so-called customer list?

Epstein’s so-called “client list” — an alleged collection of his famous associates — served as a white whale for Epstein’s investigators, skeptics and conspiracy theorists alike.

Even Bondi has gotten in on the act, telling Fox News in February that the “client list” is “on my desk right now to review.”

The only problem: The Justice Department concluded that such a list did not exist, and issued a letter in July saying that its review of records related to Epstein had not uncovered any incriminating “client list.” The unsigned memo said there was no credible evidence that Epstein “blackmailed prominent figures as part of his actions.”

Why are these records being released now?

Congress is forcing the government to act after Trump reneged on his promise he made during his election campaign last year to open the files. The Justice Department released some records earlier this year — almost all of them already public — but abruptly stopped in July after promising more by the “truckloads.”

That prompted a small group of bipartisan lawmakers in the House of Representatives to launch what was initially seen as a long-term effort to force their release through legislation. Meanwhile, lawmakers have begun releasing documents they received from Epstein’s estate, culminating in a 23,000-page release last week.

As public and political pressure mounted, including from some Trump allies, Congress quickly passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Tuesday and Trump signed it into law on Wednesday.

Haven’t some of the Epstein files already been made public?

Yes. Before Congress intervened, tens of thousands of pages of records had been released over the years through civil lawsuits, Epstein and Maxwell’s public criminal cases, public disclosures and Freedom of Information Act requests.

Many documents — including police reports written in Florida, state grand jury records, depositions by Epstein’s employees, his travel logs, and his address book — are already available. In July, the Justice Department released surveillance video from prison on the night of Epstein’s death.

The FBI had even previously released some files related to Epstein, posting more than 1,400 pages on its website, although much of the material was redacted and some of it was redacted because it was under seal.