Epstein Files Released by US Justice Department Spotlight Clinton, Barely Mention Trump
The United States Justice Department on Friday released hundreds of thousands of pages of documents linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with the files heavily featuring former Democratic President Bill Clinton while making little reference to President Donald Trump.
The disclosure followed a bipartisan law passed overwhelmingly by Congress in November, compelling the release of all Epstein-related records despite months of resistance from the Trump administration. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, had long promoted conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein, but the issue has increasingly become a political liability for his administration.
It remains unclear how much new information the documents contain, as large volumes of Epstein material have already entered the public domain since his death in a New York jail in 2019, which authorities ruled a suicide. Reuters said it is still reviewing the newly released records.
The files include evidence gathered from multiple law enforcement investigations and photographs of Clinton, who has long been criticised by Trump allies over his past association with Epstein. However, the documents appear to contain few, if any, references to Trump, despite his well-documented friendship with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s.
The absence of Trump-related material has drawn attention, given that his name and images have surfaced in earlier Epstein disclosures. Trump previously appeared in flight manifests from Epstein’s private jet released earlier this year, and he and several family members were listed in Epstein’s contact book, which became public during the trial of Epstein’s associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the documents released on Friday represent only an initial batch, with more disclosures expected in the coming weeks, raising the possibility that Trump could feature more prominently later.
Last month, Trump directed the Justice Department to investigate Clinton’s ties to Epstein, a move critics described as an attempt to deflect scrutiny from his own past relationship with the disgraced financier.
One photograph released shows Clinton in a swimming pool with Maxwell and another unidentified individual whose face was obscured. Clinton, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has previously said he regretted socialising with Epstein and insisted he was unaware of any criminal activity.
The Justice Department noted that it made “all reasonable efforts” to redact victims’ personal information but warned that some details could be inadvertently disclosed. Blanche told Congress it would take up to two additional weeks to review other materials for possible release, adding that more than 1,200 individuals identified as victims or relatives appear in the files.
The White House said the release demonstrated its commitment to transparency and justice for Epstein’s victims, while criticising previous Democratic administrations. However, the statement did not acknowledge that the disclosures were compelled by congressional action after Trump officials earlier said no further files would be released.
Democrats criticised the administration, arguing the release was incomplete. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the documents as “a fraction of the whole body of evidence,” while Senator Adam Schiff accused the Justice Department of being unprepared or deliberately withholding materials.
Some Trump supporters, meanwhile, accused the administration of covering up Epstein’s links to powerful individuals and obscuring details of his death. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that only 44% of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the Epstein issue, compared with his overall 82% approval rating among the group, highlighting the political fallout ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking and has not been accused of wrongdoing. He fell out with Epstein in the mid-2000s, before Epstein’s first conviction in 2008.
Previous Epstein disclosures revealed ongoing correspondence with prominent figures even after his conviction, including former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Britain’s Prince Andrew. JPMorgan Chase paid $290 million in 2023 to settle claims by Epstein’s victims, acknowledging it kept Epstein as a client years after his conviction.
More documents are expected to be released in the coming weeks as scrutiny over the Epstein case continues.
