The US Justice Department must release most documents related to Jeffrey Epstein by the end of Friday, under the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed by Congress last month. The law, signed by President Donald Trump on 19 November, requires disclosure by 19 December except in cases where it would jeopardise investigations, harm national security, or reveal victims' information.
The administration has been silent on its progress. Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers requested a briefing from Attorney General Pam Bondi, but she did not provide one. Two Democratic senators subsequently pledged to block some civilian nominees, citing concerns the administration 'is gearing up to disregard the law'.
If the files are released, they could contain hundreds of thousands of pages, including additional victims' claims and names of Epstein's high-profile associates. The documents might also shed light on how Epstein evaded justice for decades, despite his connections to powerful figures including Trump and Prince Andrew.
Trump vowed on the campaign trail to release the Epstein files and reiterated this promise early in his second term. However, in July, the Justice Department issued a memo claiming there was no Epstein client list, stating that 'no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted'. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's name appeared multiple times in Epstein files held by the department.
Failure to comply with the law would likely provoke a political firestorm, though it remains unclear what remedy could follow. Congress passed the legislation after the administration failed to make meaningful disclosures earlier this year.
