The justice department, rushing under pressure from Congress to comply with a law signed by President Donald Trump last month, released more than 13,000 files on Friday arising from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted sex offender who died in jail in 2019 while under indictment on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.
The release of the files had been long awaited by those who believed the materials could shed light on Epstein’s activities and his ties to prominent and powerful men. The justice department said more documents would be released in the coming weeks.
Here are six takeaways about what the first batch of files divulged — and did not.
No revelations
The released files, which included thousands of photographs and investigative documents, added little to the public’s understanding of Epstein’s conduct. The materials also did not provide much additional insight into Epstein’s connections to wealthy and powerful businessmen and politicians who associated with him.
Muted Right reaction
Trump’s Right-wing supporters have traditionally been among the most ardent advocates for releasing the Epstein files. They have long been convinced that the
documents would contain evidence that a cabal of prominent men — in their telling, mostly Democrats — had joined Epstein in abusing young women and covering up their crimes.
But those same supporters were largely silent as the files came out, perhaps in response to the dearth of new incriminating information. Trump on Friday conspicuously refrained from commenting on the release of the materials, even though the case has haunted him politically.
Spotlight on Clinton
Whether by design or chance, many of the photographs included in the files were of one of Trump’s most prominent political adversaries: former President Bill Clinton.
Few Trump mentions
Trump’s name was mentioned rarely in the materials released on Friday. It remained unclear, though, whether he would figure more in the release of files still to come and whether the justice department selected the initial batch with politics in mind.
Affluent attracted
The files showed how Epstein attracted a remarkably broad spectrum of famous people into his orbit, from the rock stars Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger to the legendary newsman Walter Cronkite.
More to come
In an interview on Fox News on Friday morning, Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, acknowledged that the justice department was not finished releasing files. Thousands more would be made public “in the coming weeks”, he said.
New York Times News Service
