DOJ Releases Epstein Files, But Many Questions Remain
However, the nearly 4,000 files released by the DOJ contain a hodgepodge of photos, handwritten notes, and more, with no clear revelations about who else may be criminally implicated in Epstein’s abuse network.
The documents, released in four volumes, represent only a fraction of the files the department is required to release under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers scolded the DOJ for withholding large portions of its archive, accusing the department of failing to comply with the law’s disclosure mandate.
In addition, the documents the Justice Department did release contain hundreds of images of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his onetime girlfriend and convicted accomplice in a yearslong sex trafficking operation, along with other associates, celebrities, and politicians.
What’s in the Released Documents?
The first batch of documents contains 3,158 images of the inside of Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and Virgin Islands compound. These include several photographs of a painting of Bill Clinton wearing a blue dress and red high heels mounted next to a framed, handwritten letter. There are also dozens of photos of Epstein with women and, in at least two cases, what appear to be babies; their faces are redacted.
Moreover, the redactions are inconsistent. In a handwritten note to Epstein, a signature is redacted, while in another image of that same note, the name “Kathe” is visible. A calligraphed note, seemingly written by a young woman and thanking Epstein for taking her and her sister on several “adventures,” has the signature redacted, but an envelope in a similar hand bears the name of the sender.
Celebrities and Politicians in the Released Documents
The second volume contains 574 photos and one four-second video. Many of the photos feature Epstein and Maxwell in various locations. Several celebrities and politicians also appear in the photos, including actors Chris Tucker and Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
However, Bill Clinton appears multiple times in the second batch of images. In one photo, he is shirtless in a pool with a woman whose identity has been redacted; a photo that appears to have been taken at the same location shows Clinton and Maxwell in the pool.
Prince Andrew and Other Notable Figures
The third volume contains several hundred photos. One of those, which appears to have been framed, shows a man who appears to be Prince Andrew posing on his side on the laps of at least four women, whose faces are all redacted. A smiling Maxwell, and a woman whose face is redacted, stand in the background.
Consequently, many of the photos may have been printed out as they appeared in digital storage, since the individual photo names, the file extensions, and album names are all visible. Many images with those markers include Clinton, and several were seemingly taken on a group vacation to Thailand that Clinton is alleged to have taken with Epstein and Maxwell.
What’s Missing from the Released Documents?
It is currently unclear when the DOJ will release additional documents or what will be included in any subsequent releases. Meanwhile, CNN has reported on frustrations within the DOJ over the allegedly vague guidance lawyers responsible for redacting the material were given, while Fox News has reported that the same standards used to protect victims were applied to “politically exposed individuals and government officials.”
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