The Department of Justice has just released the latest batch of Epstein files documents.
Over 11,000 files are in the latest release, which includes court records, FBI and DOJ documents, emails, news clippings and videos.
Today's update (23 December) comes four days after the release of the most recent Epstein files on Friday (19 December).
The Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) was passed nearly unanimously by Congress and signed into law by United States President Donald Trump last month (30 November). It mandated the complete release of the Epstein files by last Friday, but before today, the Department of Justice had released only one batch of documents.
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Campaigners in Washington and elsewhere have previously taken aim at the DOJ for withholding or heavily redacting large sections of the material released so far. Additionally, survivors of Epstein’s abuse said the public only saw a small slice of what the department actually holds.
The DOJ, run by Pam Bondi, claims it is meeting its legal duties, releasing what it holds on Epstein while still safeguarding his victims. As we say, the Friday deadline came and went with a promise of more disclosures, and now some of those extra documents have finally surfaced.
One image shows an old US passport, which was issued in February 1985 and expired in 1995, belonging to Epstein.
Below his signature is a black and white passport photo of Epstein dressed in a suit and tie.
Friday's batch of documents featured another one of Epstein's passports, which was issued in March 2009.
Another image shows Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting sex-trafficking charges, in a plane with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence as the sex offender's 'partner in crime' in a years-long sex trafficking operation.
On top of the images, the newly-released files include a letter claiming a 'president' shared 'love for young girls', but it's important to note that the DOJ are disputing claims it's about Trump, and the letter doesn't explicitly say it's Trump who is mentioned.
In the letter, postmarked for Aug. 13, 2019, Epstein wrote to jailed USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar claiming: "Our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls. When a young beauty walked by, he loved to ‘grab snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair."
The DOJ's latest statement on X reads: "The Department of Justice has officially released nearly 30,000 more pages of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
"Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponised against President Trump already.
"Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims."
On Monday (22 December), Trump made his very first address in front of the press since the release of the latest Epstein files on Friday.
During his address, Trump was questioned over Clinton's appearance in several photos, prompting him to say: "I think it's terrible. I like Bill Clinton... and I hate to see photos come out of him.
"I've always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I've been nice to him; he's been nice to me. I hate to see photos come out of him, but this is what the Democrats, mostly Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans, are asking for.
"So they are giving photos of me too. Everybody was friendly with this guy [Epstein], either friendly or not friendly.
"He was all over Palm Beach and other places... and Bill Clinton was a friend of his, but everybody was."
He added: "But no, I don’t like the pictures of Bill Clinton being shown. I don’t like the pictures of other people being shown – I think it’s a terrible thing."
Trump, who socialised and partied with convicted sex offender Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s, before their fallout, added: "I think Bill Clinton's a big boy. He can handle it, but you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago and they’re highly respected bankers and lawyers and others."
He added that a 'lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein. But they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody'.
It's important to note, however, that these images do not demonstrate any illegal activity by Clinton, who has long maintained he had cut ties with Epstein long before the financier's 2019 arrest.
In that same year, Epstein died by suicide while awaiting sex-trafficking charges.
Clinton also denies all knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
Topics: Crime, Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, News, Politics, US News
Rhiannon Ingle