Congress set a Dec. 19 deadline for the release of the Epstein files, a long-awaited moment for an issue that has vexed President Trump.
How the Epstein file haunted President Trump’s second term
The Epstein scandal revealed the limits of President Trump’s influence over the MAGA base.
Years of public pressure to reveal what the government knows about the Jeffrey Epstein case is reaching a critical juncture as the Trump administration approaches a Friday deadline set by lawmakers for the release of the Epstein files.
Congress set a 30-day deadline, which arrived Dec. 19, and comes at a much-needed time on an issue that has dogged President Donald Trump throughout his first year in office, inflaming his MAGA base, causing rifts with allies and exposing the limits of his considerable influence over his supporters.
Epstein, a wealth manager with ties to the rich and famous, committed suicide in prison in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Nevertheless, he remained a powerful political issue. Questions about the case have persisted for years, including how Epstein died and whether celebrities may be involved in the sex trafficking allegations against him.
The Trump administration tried to close the Epstein case in July, but the Justice Department released a memo saying it had found no evidence of a sex-trafficking client list and would not release any more records, reaffirming that Epstein died by suicide. Trump and Epstein were friends for more than a decade in the 1990s and early 2000s.
After Trump’s inner circle fueled a conspiracy to cover up Epstein for years, the MAGA base revolted, Congress pushed to obtain the records, and key Republicans allied with Trump signed a bill requiring disclosure. Mr. Trump initially criticized his supporters for focusing on Mr. Epstein, but ultimately supported the bill.
All eyes will be on how the administration will respond to information disclosure. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department would “follow the law” regarding the Epstein documents.
As the files are filtered, Trump and Congress will leave town. President Trump is speaking in North Carolina, where members of Congress are heading home for the holidays. Watch USA TODAY’s live coverage of the Epstein Files.
The Epstein File Transparency Act, passed by Congress and signed by the president on November 19, requires the government to release records “not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this law.”
Bondi has until Dec. 19 at 11:59 p.m. to release the Justice Department records. The exact timing and method of release is unknown. The law states that documents must be made publicly available in a “searchable and downloadable format.”
What are Epstein’s records already public?
Over the course of two decades of state and federal criminal investigations, considerable information about Epstein has already come to light.
Epstein was first charged in 2006 and ultimately pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution of a minor. He was registered as a sex offender. He appeared in court again in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, with the indictment alleging that he “sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls in his home.”
Recent efforts by Congress to obtain records have yielded more information about Epstein’s lifestyle and relationships. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a copy of a birthday letter to Epstein written inside the outline of a woman’s body, claiming it showed Trump’s signature. He denied writing the memo. Democrats on the committee also released emails in which Mr. Epstein spoke about Mr. Trump, including one in which he said Mr. Trump “knew the girls.”
Other records recently released by the committee from Epstein’s estate mention billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, MAGA leader Steve Bannon, Prince Andrew and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The committee also released photos from the mansion showing Mr. Trump, former President Bill Clinton and other dignitaries, as well as emails containing correspondence between Mr. Epstein and former Harvard University president and U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. Following the revelations, Mr. Summers, who served in the Clinton administration, retired from public service and from teaching at Harvard University.
Will the government release the entire Epstein file?
The law passed by Congress requires Bondi to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice.”
However, there are exceptions. Bondi can withhold information that identifies the victim, indicates abuse, is classified, or “jeopardizes a federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.”
Donald Trump claims Jeffrey Epstein files are ‘fabricated’
President Donald Trump has claimed that the Jeffrey Epstein files are a “Democrat hoax”, even though Republican leaders support petitions to release them.
This means that some information will not be made public.
Eric O’Neill, a national security lawyer and former FBI counterintelligence officer, said, “There’s no 100% chance of getting the documents.”
Lawmakers will closely monitor the records to ensure they are not unduly suppressed.
“What I would like to see is an honest effort to at least get most of the files out,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), the lead sponsor of the Epstein anti-File initiative.
How did MAGA respond to President Trump’s response to the Epstein scandal?
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this month found that a majority of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein scandal.
The July Justice Department memo sparked considerable backlash within President Trump’s MAGA base, which the president has struggled to contain, and exposed the limits of the president’s vast influence over his supporters.
After the issue escalated, President Trump took to social media to argue that Epstein was being used to taint his administration and that his supporters “shouldn’t waste their time and energy on Jeffrey Epstein, who no one cares about.”
However, Trump’s usual tactics did not quell Republican opposition. A pressure campaign to get Republicans to oppose the file disclosure bill failed with resistance from some of Trump’s top politicians, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). With the Epstein bill ready to move forward, President Trump has said he agrees and will sign it.
Contributors: Aysha Bagchi, Zachary Schermele
