We have 24 hours until the deadline for US President Donald Trump's Justice Department to release most of the files related to Jeffrey Epstein in its possession.
Last month, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, ordering the release of the records by 19 December.
Limited exceptions apply where disclosure could endanger ongoing investigations, national security, foreign policy interests, or the privacy of Epstein’s victims.
Since Trump signed the bill nearly 30 days ago on 29 November, his administration has offered no public update.
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"Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!" the 79-year-old Republican wrote at the time.
Meanwhile, House Democrats have released 68 new images today (18 December) featuring Epstein, several celebrities and photographs of redacted passports and WhatsApp messages.
What happens if the Justice Department fails to comply remains unclear, but any refusal would almost certainly trigger a political backlash.
If released, the files could run to hundreds of thousands of pages, covering investigations into the late sex trafficker, further victims’ accounts, and the identities of his powerful associates. They could also shed light on how Epstein, who moved in elite circles including Trump and the former Prince Andrew, avoided prosecution for years.
Thousands of documents are already in the public domain, including Epstein's contact book, client list, photos of his private island and a series of celebrity images from his estate.
There has been a longstanding conspiracy theory that Epstein kept a 'little black book' or a list of his clients, which includes the names of high-profile figures.
Theorists believe that Epstein was killed and his death was made to look like a suicide to protect the names of those on the ‘list’.
However, an investigation by the Department of Justice and the FBI earlier this year confirmed that such a list doesn't actually exist, as well as clarifying that he was not murdered during his 36-day stay at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump promised to release all government-held Epstein material and repeated that pledge early in his second term.
But such a stance shifted in July, when the Justice Department issued a memo stating there was no Epstein client list and that no further disclosure was appropriate.
"While we have laboured to provide the public with maximum information regarding Epstein and ensured examination of any evidence in the government’s possession, it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted," the official memo read.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act follows the US House of Representatives and the Senate's votes to pass a bill that would require the Justice Department to publicly disclose 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative material' related to Epstein and his partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The late convicted sex offender who died by suicide in his cell while awaiting sex-trafficking charges in 2019, while Maxwell is currently behind bars serving a 20-year sex-trafficking sentence.
The nearly unanimous bill passed the House 427-1, with the only 'no' vote coming from Republican US Representative Clay Higgins.
The House Democrats previously released several emails from Epstein, including a 2019 email that claimed Trump 'knew about the girls'.
Trump, who socialised and partied with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, before their fallout, has continuously denied any wrongdoing or any knowledge of Epstein's crimes.
He previously made a 180-degree U-turn from his stance that the Epstein case was merely a 'Democrat hoax' and urged Republicans to vote in favour of the release because they have 'nothing to hide'.
He wrote on Truth Social on 17 November: "House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party, including our recent Victory on the Democrat 'Shutdown'."
Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, Politics, US News, News
Rhiannon Ingle