Washington, Dec 20 (UNI) The US Justice Department on Friday released a fresh set of documents and photographs connected to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following months of political pressure and the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Large portions of the material remain heavily redacted.
The released files include photographs and records showing Epstein in social settings with high-profile figures, including Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell, and pop star Michael Jackson. Other notable individuals appearing in the documents are Mick Jagger, Woody Allen, and Noam Chomsky, according to CNN.
The files, published under the new law passed by Congress, require the release of unclassified records connected to Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The disclosures are being made on a rolling basis due to the sheer volume of material involved.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of aiding the trafficking of teenage girls and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The newly released materials, uploaded to the Department’s website around 7 pm ET, include roughly 120 photographs, most showing FBI evidence boxes, envelopes, hard drives, old CDs, and computer equipment recovered from Epstein’s properties in Florida, New York, and the US Virgin Islands.
The documents are heavily redacted to protect victims and ongoing investigations. A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed that one widely circulated photo of former President Bill Clinton in a hot tub had a blacked-out individual to safeguard the identity of a victim of Epstein’s abuse. While the Epstein Files Transparency Act allows the department to redact certain information, some images show faces, including that of an older man, obscured without explanation.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department would retain redactions for materials containing personally identifiable victim information, child sexual abuse material, classified national security content, or information that could jeopardize active investigations. Blanche also noted that the Justice Department has “several hundred thousand” additional documents, with more releases expected in the coming weeks.
The Justice Department emphasized that appearances in the documents do not imply wrongdoing, and Clinton has never been charged or accused by law enforcement in relation to Epstein.
Among those featured are former President Bill Clinton, appearing in multiple images including trips with Epstein and Maxwell; pop star Michael Jackson, seen alongside Epstein and others; and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, pictured with Clinton. Also named or appearing in photographs are Prince Andrew, actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Chris Tucker, former Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, entrepreneur Richard Branson, journalist Walter Cronkite, musician Phil Collins, and actress Minnie Driver. Contact books also reference other prominent figures from entertainment, fashion, business, and politics, including Alec Baldwin, Naomi Campbell, David Blaine, Candice Bushnell, Tony Blair, Mike Bloomberg, and José María Aznar, among others.
One photo depicts Michael Jackson standing next to Epstein in front of a painting of a nude figure, while another shows Clinton with his arm around Jackson, accompanied by a woman whose identity is redacted and singer Diana Ross. Epstein is not visible in that particular image.
The initial release includes photographs, call logs, contact books, grand jury testimony, and investigative records, some of which were already publicly available. Officials said redactions were applied to protect victims, preserve ongoing investigations, and prevent the release of abusive material. Many images are undated and released without context, and experts caution that the documents may not provide a full picture of Epstein’s network.
Among the released documents, a seven-page list naming 254 masseuses has been entirely blacked out, with the Justice Department explaining the redactions were applied to “protect potential victim information.” This is part of the department’s broader effort to ensure sensitive details and personally identifiable information of victims remain confidential, even as thousands of other documents and photographs are made public.
The newly released files contain limited references to US President Donald Trump, despite his past social connections with Epstein. Trump appears briefly in a photograph alongside Melania Trump, Epstein, and Maxwell, and other images show books related to Trump on shelves. There is no indication of criminal allegations against him in the released material.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) criticized the Justice Department for the extensive redactions. “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked-out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” he said. Schumer highlighted one document in which all 119 pages were completely redacted, and called on the Department to provide explanations. Under the law, the Justice Department is required to submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within 15 days detailing the legal basis for all redactions.
Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He died later that year in his jail cell while awaiting trial; his death was ruled a suicide, though questions and conspiracy theories continue to circulate.
The Justice Department has stressed that the ongoing release of documents is intended to balance transparency with the legal obligation to protect victims and sensitive information, while ensuring that information critical to ongoing investigations remains secure.
The Justice Department plans to continue rolling out additional documents in the coming weeks. As more records are released, scrutiny is expected to intensify over who knew Epstein, when, and under what circumstances.
The DOJ emphasized that the ongoing release aims to balance transparency with legal obligations to protect victims and sensitive information, while preserving details critical to ongoing investigations.
Epstein files Released: Notable figures including Clinton, MJ on the list
