ANALYSIS
Epstein files: Millions of documents, high-profile names and the keys to DOJ's latest release
More than 20 years of files on Jeffrey Epstein, compiled and reviewed by 500 experts, are now accessible to the public. What was the long selection process like, and where can they be found?
Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein
New and latest batch of files on Epstein case have been released. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explained Friday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) released 3 million files on the investigation against sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including 180,000 photos and 2,000 videos.
Blanche claimed that the images and names of women were previously censored, except for that of accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. He also maintained that the government had not been involved in the pre-release review of the files.
He further stated, as DOJ has done with previous releases, that the documents include sensationalized and false claims about the president. "We did not protect President Trump," he asserted. "We didn't protect or not protect anybody.
More co-conspirators?
Two FBI emails, dated July 2019, mention 10 of Epstein's "co-conspirators," according to AFP. Their names, however, are blacked out. The only collaborator of the financier who has been charged in court was Maxwell.
Epstein's ex-girlfriend is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for grooming minors. She will appear before the House Oversight Committee on Feb. 9 to testify about the case.
The names that do appear: Musk, Trump, Gates ...
The new batch of publicly available documents contain references to several high-profile figures. The fact that their names appear does not necessarily mean a criminal or close relationship with Epstein, nor even that they knew him personally. They may, for example, simply have been named by the financier or some other connected person on occasion.
President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and British billionaire Richard Branson are among those named, according to AFP.
- Donald Trump: the files reportedly contain a list, compiled by the FBI, of sexual assault allegations related to the president from anonymous calls and unverified information. The document suggests that investigators followed up on some of those reports, while others were outright dismissed as not credible. None prospered.
- Bill Gates: In a draft email included in the documents, Epstein reportedly alleged that Gates had extramarital affairs. The financier reportedly wrote that his relationship with the Microsoft founder had included "helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls" and "facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women." The Gates Foundation issued a statement denying the allegations.
- Richard Branson: "It was really nice seeing you yesterday. The boys in Watersports can't stop speaking about it! Any time you're in the area would love to see you. As long as you bring your harem!" Branson reportedly wrote in an email sent to Epstein on Sept. 11, 2013. A representative for the alluded party claimed the relationship had been sporadic and that the billionaire condemned Epstein's actions.
- Elon Musk: The documents reportedly contain different exchanges between Musk and Epstein. "What day/night will be the wildest party on our island?" the former allegedly wrote in a post. He himself later posted on X that the correspondence could be misinterpreted and that what was important was "the prosecution of those who committed heinous crimes with Epstein." "When there is at least one arrest, some justice will have been done. If not, this is all performative. Nothing but a distraction."
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: documents would show that the former Prince Andrew would have invited Epstein to visit him at Buckingham Palace in September 2010. The invitation allegedly came after the latter had proposed to introduce him to a 26-year-old Russian woman.
- Howard Lutnick: emails reportedly revealed that businessman Lutnick, the current commerce secretary, planned to have lunch with Epstein on his Caribbean island in December 2012.
- Steve Tisch: emails would suggest that Epstein would have introduced several women to Steve Tisch, the 76-year-old producer of films "Forrest Gump" and "Risky Business" and co-owner of the New York Giants football team
Where did the Epstein files come from?
Although there has been speculation for years about a possible list of clients of the financier, to whom he would have provided sexual encounters in exchange for money or favors, government sources repeatedly denied their existence.
The files that have been released in recent months, both by the DOJ and by other official sources, come, above all, from official investigations.
After an initial collection of emails, interviews, images and videos that could be covered by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed by Trump late last year, investigators were left with some 6 million documents. It was reduced by about half after a review, eliminating, among others, redundancies and victim-sensitive materials.
"This process included identifying materials stored in various formats in multiple offices spanning multiple investigations and prosecutions over a period of over twenty years," the department explained. "As a result, the document identification process was substantially manual and iterative with the document review process often leading Department personnel to search locations not previously."
More than 500 attorneys and reviewers participated in the publication efforts.
The DOJ identified six major sources for the now-public documents. They come from different coordinates and branches of government. They are:
- Florida and New York cases against Epstein
- The New York case against Maxwell
- New York cases investigating Epstein's death
- The Office of Inspector General's investigation into Epstein's death
- The Florida case investigating a former Epstein butler
- Multiple FBI investigations
Where to review the material?
The law enacted last year mandating the release of "all" material relating to Epstein also stated that it must be made public in "in a searchable and downloadable format."
To comply with that provision, the DOJ uploaded the more than 3.5 million files to a freely accessible page within its official website: https://www.justice.gov/epstein.
Can the Clintons go to prison over the Epstein case?
The full House must now vote on whether to proceed with both cases. If a majority of representatives endorse them, the DOJ will be able to bring charges against the former president and the former secretary of state.
Contempt is a legal mechanism used on rare occasions by Congress that can carry penalties a maximum of $100,000 and up to a year in prison.
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