The ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee said there are other “disturbing” images that should be revealed. The Justice Department has just one week to release all information about Epstein.
New photo shows Epstein with Trump, Bannon and other celebrities
A new photo released by the Democratic House Oversight Committee shows Jeffrey Epstein with a prominent figure.
WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats released another set of eyebrow-raising photos on Monday that further show connections between several celebrities, including President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019.
But the aftermath is just beginning. And the trove of information available to the public is about to get even bigger.
The release of 19 new undated images of celebrities including director Woody Allen and Trump’s former West Wing aide Steve Bannon is a precursor to what Democrats on the House Oversight Committee plan to release to the public, even more file dumps than their recent release of 95,000 photos. The panel released more than 70 additional photos later that day. (Deputies provided only limited details about the images, with no specific indication that the people in the photos were involved in any wrongdoing.)
“We’ve probably looked at about 25,000 photos so far, and some of the other photos that we didn’t release today are incredibly disturbing,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the committee’s ranking member, told reporters on Dec. 12.
The Justice Department has until Dec. 19 to release as many documents related to its own investigation into Epstein as possible. The deadline was enshrined in a law passed by Congress nearly unanimously in November and signed by President Trump.
By then, lawmakers will have left Washington for the holidays, but the timing of the long-awaited disclosures is sure to keep the issue high on the agenda for at least the next few weeks, if not longer. That means lawmakers will face a variety of choices in the new year about how to respond to the information that has come to light.
Republicans control Congress, giving it power to set hearings and a broad oversight schedule, but many Republicans have expressed bipartisan interest in thoroughly investigating Epstein’s complex web despite the president’s ties to him.
President Trump has repeatedly denied having any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. The two had a personal relationship decades ago, but President Trump has said he has distanced himself from the financier.
Democrats have accused the Trump administration in recent months of covering up for Epstein. But after signing the Epstein File Transparency Act, President Trump pointed out on social media that Epstein was indicted in a New York federal case in 2019 during his first term. He also noted that the investor, who died by suicide in prison that year, was a longtime contributor to Democratic politics.
“Once again, House Democrats are selectively releasing hand-picked, randomly edited photos to create a false narrative,” White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
Former President Bill Clinton’s attorney did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on the new images.
Judges cite new law authorizing disclosure of information
It’s unclear what will be released next week. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in July that most of what remains in internal files includes numerous child sex abuse videos and recordings that identify victims.
In recent weeks, the department has asked federal judges in Epstein-related cases to allow the release of grand jury transcripts and other evidence that are normally classified. They resolutely obeyed.
On December 5, Florida District Judge Rodney Smith ordered the release of documents related to abandoned investigations into Epstein from 2005 to 2007. On December 9, New York District Judge Paul Engelmayer gave the go-ahead for the release of grand jury transcripts and exhibits in the case against Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence. The next day, New York District Judge Richard Berman gave the go-ahead to share records of a grand jury’s 2019 investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking allegations.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), one of the authors of the Epstein File Transparency Act, told USA TODAY that he is encouraged so far by both the recent court ruling and the Department of Justice’s compliance.
“The judge did follow the law, and the Department of Justice petitioned the judge based on our laws.” So far, it seems like they’re making an effort.
