The Justice Department has just released the largest tranche of documents ever made public from the Jeffrey Epstein case, a move that has reignited scrutiny of the late financier’s ties to high-profile figures, including former President Donald Trump.
The Volume of the Release
The new batch contains nearly 30,000 pages, making it the biggest dump yet. The law required a 30-day release, but the Department has been issuing the files in stages starting Friday. Officials say the slow pace protects victims, even though some women assaulted by Epstein have called for greater transparency.
Trump’s Flights on Epstein’s Jet
A federal prosecutor’s note from January 2020 flagged that Trump had flown on Epstein’s private plane more often than previously known. The assistant U.S. attorney from the Southern District of New York said flight records received on January 6, 2020 showed Trump on Epstein’s jet “many more times than previously has been reported (or that we were aware).” Trump was listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, with Maxwell on at least four of those flights. One 1993 flight had only Trump and Epstein as passengers; another listed a redacted 20-year-old individual. Two other flights included two women whose names were redacted but identified as potential witnesses in Maxwell’s case.
Other High-Profile Names in the Files
The release also contains news clippings, emails and surveillance videos from the New York jail where Epstein was held before his death in 2019. The files name former President Bill Clinton, late pop star Michael Jackson, and singer Diana Ross, but the inclusion of a name or image does not imply wrongdoing. Correspondence between Maxwell and a signer who uses the initial “A.” suggests the correspondent may be Prince Andrew. An August 2001 email from “The Invisible Man” references Balmoral Summer Camp and includes a line from “A” asking, “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?” Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has denied any crimes.
White House and DOJ Responses
The White House pointed to a DOJ statement that some documents contain “untrue and sensationalist claims” about Trump made shortly before the 2020 election. The DOJ also questioned a document styled as a letter from Epstein to Larry Nassar, confirming it was fake based on handwriting, Virginia postmark, and missing inmate number. In a post on X, the DOJ said, “This fake letter serves as a reminder that just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual.”
Legal and Political Reactions
Trump said the files were a distraction, blaming Democrats and some Republicans. Speaking at an unrelated event at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, he said, “What this whole thing is with Epstein is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has.” He also noted that many people shown with Epstein in photos “probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago… highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.”
The Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, D-NY, criticized the release as still leaving “more questions than answers,” citing a 2019 FBI email that mentioned ten people under investigation as possible co-conspirators but provided few details.
Key Takeaways
- The Justice Department released nearly 30,000 new pages on the Epstein case, the largest ever.
- Trump’s private-jet trips to Epstein’s flights are documented, with eight flights between 1993 and 1996.
- The files include references to Prince Andrew and other high-profile figures, but no wrongdoing is implied.
The release marks a significant step in the long-awaited transparency of the Epstein investigation, while political and legal debates over the documents continue to unfold.
