The US Department of Justice has publicly refuted allegations against former President Donald Trump contained within the latest tranche of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, branding them as 'untrue and sensationalist'.
Justice Department Denounces 'False' Claims
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, the DoJ addressed the newly public files, which included thousands of pages and hundreds of videos or audio recordings. The department confirmed that several documents named Donald Trump, containing what it described as vile allegations. It stated these claims were previously investigated by the FBI and were determined to be 'unfounded and false'.
The DoJ emphasised that, had the allegations possessed any credibility, they would likely have been used against President Trump politically before now. This release of approximately 30,000 additional pages was conducted under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, though officials note thousands more documents remain unreleased due to ongoing redaction processes to protect victim identities.
Political Reactions and Scapegoating Claims
The document dump has ignited a fierce political blame game. Former President Trump commented on the release, stating he 'hated' seeing photos of Bill Clinton within the files and called it a 'terrible thing'. He defended Clinton, noting that many people, including himself, had innocently met Epstein before his crimes were widely known.
Trump placed responsibility for the release on 'Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans', arguing the files heavily feature Clinton. Conversely, a spokesperson for Bill Clinton issued a robust statement, suggesting the timing of the Friday document dump was designed to create a scapegoat and shield others. The spokesperson insisted Clinton had cut ties with Epstein before his crimes came to light.
Ongoing Transparency and Delays
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche attributed delays in the full document release to the monumental task of redacting the identities of Epstein's more than 1,000 victims from hundreds of thousands of items. The mandated deadline for release under the Epstein Files Transparency Act was last Friday, but the process remains incomplete.
The unfolding saga continues to draw significant attention, intertwining high-profile political figures with one of the most notorious criminal cases in recent history. The DoJ's forceful denial regarding the Trump allegations seeks to quell one aspect of the speculation, even as the public and media scrutiny of the files' contents intensifies.
