In a major development, President Donald Trump has signed a new bill directing the U.S. Justice Department to release all government files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The order requires the department to publish its Epstein-related investigative materials within 30 days, though documents tied to active investigations or containing sensitive personal information may still be withheld.
Trump’s decision marks a dramatic shift from his earlier position. Until recently, he dismissed calls for transparency as a “Democrat-led hoax,” claiming it was meant to distract from the accomplishments of his party. After mounting pressure from Epstein’s survivors and members of his own Republican Party, Trump reversed course and threw his support behind the legislation, which then passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan backing. The House approved it 427–1, and the Senate passed it unanimously.
Following the signing, Trump wrote that the truth about political figures connected to Epstein may “soon be revealed,” emphasizing that he had personally approved the bill to release the files. Although he could have ordered the disclosure without Congress, the legislation ensures a formal and public process.
The documents set for release include materials from federal criminal investigations into Epstein—interview transcripts, internal Justice Department communications, flight logs, seized items, and files identifying entities linked to him. These documents differ from the more than 20,000 pages already released by Congress last week, some of which directly mention Trump. Among them were 2018 messages from Epstein claiming he could “take [Trump] down” and stating he knew “how dirty Donald is.”
Trump acknowledged he had known Epstein socially years ago but said they had a falling-out in the early 2000s, before Epstein’s first arrest. He continues to deny any wrongdoing and maintains that Republicans “had nothing to do with Epstein,” calling it a problem created by Democrats.
The family of Virginia Giuffre—who died by suicide earlier this year—called the bill’s passage “nothing short of monumental,” saying that revealing all names, regardless of “power, wealth, or party affiliation,” is essential for justice.
Epstein died in 2019 in a New York jail cell, a death ruled as suicide. Before his death, he faced charges of sex trafficking and had previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor. His circle included numerous prominent figures from politics, business, media, and royalty, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Trump, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and others.
The new law requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell—who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. However, Bondi has the authority to withhold portions that could compromise active investigations or expose victims.
One of the bill’s authors, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, expressed concerns that new investigations might be used as justification to delay or block the release of certain files, saying he worries the administration may “use those investigations as a predicate” for withholding information.
