President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed legislation requiring the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, a move cheered by both his critics and supporters who have demanded greater transparency in the case.
The files could provide new insight into Epstein’s activities and connections. Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, socialized with Trump and other high-profile figures before his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The issue has dogged Trump for months, in part because he has amplified conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein’s death in federal custody in 2019. Many of Trump’s supporters believe the government concealed Epstein’s ties to powerful individuals, and some have accused Trump’s own Justice Department of withholding key details.
Until this week, Trump had urged Republicans to oppose the measure, warning that releasing internal investigative records could set a damaging precedent for future presidents, according to two congressional aides. He shifted his stance after it became clear the bill had enough bipartisan support to pass without him.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump, a Republican, celebrated the bill’s signing and claimed the release would expose “the truth about certain Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein.” He accused Democrats of weaponizing the scandal to overshadow his administration’s accomplishments.
“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed,” Trump wrote.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that the Justice Department will release the material within 30 days, as required under the bill approved by the GOP-led House and the Senate.
“We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency,” Bondi said at a news conference.
Documents may be incomplete
The forthcoming disclosures may not represent the full investigative record. The law allows the Justice Department to withhold identifying information about Epstein’s victims and any material that could compromise an active investigation.
Last week, Trump directed the department to scrutinize several Democratic figures who had associated with Epstein, raising the possibility that officials could opt not to release any documents related to those individuals. The Justice Department routinely cites ongoing investigative concerns when declining to make records public.
Courts previously rejected the Trump administration’s attempts to unseal grand jury transcripts linked to earlier inquiries into Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence for aiding Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls.
