Epstein and Maxwell.Image: keystone
Dec 20, 2025, 06:18Dec 20, 2025, 06:46
Under pressure from the public and parliament, the US Department of Justice has begun publishing investigation files into the case of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The files include photos and partly redacted documents from the US Federal Police (FBI). However, representatives of both parties criticized the incomplete publication of the material.
There appeared to be little new information in the documents about the relationship between Epstein and Donald Trump. The US President did not initially comment after publication. However, a prominent Democratic politician, whom Trump has repeatedly accused in this matter, appears particularly frequently in the published documents.
This is what you want to know about it.
Abuse of young women and girls
The Epstein case has concerned the public for many years. The influential US multimillionaire from New York had run an abuse ring for years, which victimized dozens of young women and minors. Over several years, Epstein himself is said to have abused underage girls in places such as New York and Florida. Epstein died in a prison cell in 2019 at the age of 66.
The financier had excellent contacts in high society, which sparked speculation about the scope of the scandal. The files were made public by law a month ago, and the Ministry of Justice released the first large package of data hours before a deadline.
Clinton again and again
Bill Clinton in the pool with an unknown person.Image: AP US Department of Justice
Photos of former President Bill Clinton appear again and again in the files that have now been published – for example while swimming in the pool with Epstein’s long-time confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. In other recordings you can see the Democrat without any connection to the two of them.
A spokesman for Clinton, Angel Urena, criticized the publication of the photos as a diversionary tactic by the White House. There are two groups of people, Urena wrote on the X platform. A first group that knew nothing and broke off the relationship with Epstein before his criminal actions came to light. And a second group that continued their relationship with him afterwards. “We belong to the first group.” No amount of delaying tactics from people in the second group will change that, he wrote.
Trump under pressure
The Republican Trump has repeatedly tried to draw attention to Clinton in recent weeks. He claimed that he was on one of Epstein’s private islands. Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles contradicted this account: “There is no evidence of this,” she told Vanity Fair magazine. A spokesman said years ago that Clinton had “never been to Little St. James Island, Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida.”
Trump himself has come under massive pressure in recent weeks because of the scandal. During the presidential election campaign he had called for the files to be released, but then resisted after taking office. For this he received criticism even in his own camp. Only after massive pressure did he sign the publication law passed by the US Parliament in November. Trump knew Epstein well, as previous photos of the two show. However, there is no evidence of the Republican’s involvement in the scandal.
Huge amounts of data in multiple parts
Starting on Friday afternoon (local time), the ministry made huge amounts of data available in several parts, which are said to have been part of the investigation. Some of the photos are already known. The ministry does not have to publish documents that are classified as secret.
Hundreds of thousands more documents are expected to be published in the next few weeks, as Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explained shortly before on Fox News. According to him, pages must be edited before publication to protect the identity of the victims.
An initial overview of the documents
- Photos with Epstein and Maxwell: Two people can often be seen in pictures – the millionaire and his confidante. Maxwell was sentenced in 2022. According to the verdict, she played a central role in setting up a sexual abuse ring and is now in prison. Photos show the two celebrating.
- Photos from home and travel: Many pictures show Epstein and Maxwell traveling. Photos of Epstein’s home in New York are also among the files. These include staircases, a workstation with many screens, filing cabinets, sex toys, bathrooms, sports equipment, wardrobes. A dentist’s chair can also be seen. This had recently been seen in a collection of photos from Epstein’s estate published by the Democrats in the US Congress.
- Documents: There are many logs, ranging from print orders, lawsuits, interrogation logs and an FBI checklist to lists with little other than the time and date
The ministry did not provide any statement or explanations about the files. Names that have already appeared in connection with the Epstein affair also appear in some documents. Among them is the British ex-Prince Andrew, who maintained contact with Epstein, fell into disrepute as a result and recently had to give up his noble title. However, the fact that a name per se appears in a document does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about possible crimes.
What cannot be seen at first
When we first viewed it, there were no images showing sexual abuse or other crimes. By law, the Justice Department can continue to withhold such recordings and documents.
Files that, according to the law, “represent a clearly unjustified invasion of privacy” can also be excluded. Publication of information that would jeopardize potential federal investigations or legal proceedings, or whose secrecy is in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, may also be stopped.
The authenticity of the photos could not initially be independently verified. It also remained unclear how the thousands of photos were selected. When the photos were taken, who took them and where the Ministry of Justice got them from also initially remained unclear.
Criticism of gaps and redactions
The initiators of the law for the publication of the investigation files accused the Ministry of Justice of withholding information.Image: AP
The initiators of the law for the publication of the investigation files accused the Ministry of Justice of withholding information. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna said in a video posted on X that a 119-page document containing testimony was completely redacted without any explanation. They want a complete release of the investigation files. Khanna received support from, among others, Republican Thomas Massie, who initiated the legislative initiative together with the Democrat.
The Democratic minority leader in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, also complained on X that the ministry had published “only a fraction of the total evidence”. The truth must come to light, he demanded. Democratic Representative Robert Garcia accused US President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi of a cover-up. (sda/dpa)