When will Jeffrey Epstein’s files actually be released?
Despite the bill being passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress, questions remain about when the public will be able to see Jeffrey Epstein’s files.
Podcaster Joe Rogan mocked President Donald Trump’s change in attitude toward the release of the Epstein files on the Nov. 19 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
“I heard there was no file. I heard it was a hoax,” Logan said. “And then all of a sudden he tried to make the file public. Well, I thought the file didn’t exist.”
President Trump referred to the files as fabricated before calling on Congressional Republicans to vote in favor of the Epstein File Transparency Act. Announcing the bill’s signing on November 19, President Trump reiterated that calls for greater transparency into Epstein’s relationships with the wealthy and powerful, including the president himself, are “the latest hoax (sic)” created by Democrats.
Mr. Rogan is a close ally of Mr. Trump, having him appear on his podcast just before the 2024 election and endorsing the then-Republican candidate. But Logan’s support for the Trump administration has waned, largely due to its handling of the Epstein file.
“This is a line in the sand,” Logan said while discussing the Epstein file on the July 25 episode. “There’s this hardcore passage that everyone’s been talking about forever, and they’re trying to gaslight you with it.”
On November 18, Apple named “The Joe Rogan Experience” the most popular podcast of 2025.
What is the Epstein File?
The files include thousands of documents related to civil and criminal investigations into disgraced financier and sex offender Epstein. He died by suicide in his prison cell while awaiting trial in 2019.
Between federal indictments, police investigations, civil lawsuits, and public allegations, Epstein is accused of running an international sex trafficking ring that recruited more than 1,000 girls as young as 14 to participate in sex with him, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and other men.
The women said they were abused all over the world, including in California, Florida, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, the United Kingdom and the Virgin Islands. Many of these are done in the name of providing massage services to earn extra money, or to get well-connected men to support their modeling careers.
When will the Epstein files actually be released?
It’s unclear when exactly the Justice Department will release the materials under the Epstein File Transparency Act.
The bill would authorize the Justice Department to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” obtained from the investigation into Epstein within 30 days. Files must be published in a “searchable and downloadable format.”
The bill would allow certain information to be kept private, including the victim’s identity, “child sexual material” and anything that could jeopardize an ongoing investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi is being asked to provide Congress with a summary of the edits made and the legal justification for withholding the information.
“We will continue to follow the law with the utmost transparency while protecting victims,” Bondi said on Nov. 19.
Days before calling on House Republicans to vote to release the Epstein files, President Trump ordered the Justice Department to launch an investigation into Democrats with ties to Epstein. Ty Cobb, who served as White House counsel during Trump’s first term, said in an interview with CNN that he believes Bondi will cite the ongoing investigation as a reason for not releasing the files.
The House passed the bill by a vote of 427-1, and the Senate followed suit about three hours later with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introducing a motion seeking unanimous consent.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said on November 19 that the “clear intention” of both chambers was to “get the information out” after both chambers voted overwhelmingly in favor of the bill.
Contributed by Michael Loria and Joey Garrison – USA TODAY
