Although Congress voted to release all of the files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender and former financier friend to the rich and famous, there are still doubts that all will be revealed.
Nearly all off the House and Senate voted yes to legislation that requires the U.S. Department of Justice to publish all classified records, documents and communications and investigative materials related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days. However, there is a caveat: the DOJ is “permitted to withhold certain information such as the personal information of victims and materials that would jeopardize an active federal investigation.”
So, even with President Donald Trump’s signature, there might still be some roadblocks preventing all of the Epstein information from becoming public. In fact, Axios noted that Trump’s “recent directive of DOJ to investigate Epstein’s ties to former President Bill Clinton, officials at JP Morgan Chase and others may cause the files to never see the light of day.”
Trump said Monday that he would sign the legislation compelling the release of the Epstein files, but this pledge followed his efforts to downplay the issue for months. NBC News even reported that Trump and his administration tried to pressure GOP women to drop off a discharge petition related to the Epstein files. Audacy reported that the president lashed out at a reporter on Air Force One who was asking about the files last week.
Clinton and Trump were just some of the famous people linked with Epstein. Others include Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew), current U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and former Harvard president Larry Summers, who resigned from his position on the board of OpenAI this week amid new revelations about his communication with Epstein.
While Trump did know Epstein, he reportedly cut off ties with the financier in the early 2000s. He has also denied that a message attributed to him in an alleged 2003 “birthday book” compiled by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell is authentic. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sex traffic minors, and Epstein had what Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) described Tuesday as a “rape island.”
Alicia Arden – a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse who filed a report about him in 1997 – said that it would be a “slap in the face” of the DOJ doesn’t go through with a complete release of the files, CNN reported.
Already, the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein case, including a joint DOJ/Federal Bureau of Investigation memo from earlier this year that said no new information would be released, has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans. It has even caused a rift between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a formerly staunch MAGA and Trump supporter, and the president.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said: “they are finally on the side of justice,” regarding Trump and his administration officials. He also said: “If you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people and you are not for this effort.”
According to the CBC, Massie also voiced concerns about Trump’s recent move to call for investigations into the Epstein case.
“I believe they may be trying to use those investigations as a predicate for not releasing the files. That’s my concern,” Massie told reporters outside the Capitol Monday.