The Trump administration has released government documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and the rollout has received criticism from both ends of the political spectrum, with one Democratic lawmaker calling it a “debacle.”
The first batch of documents published on the Department of Justice‘s website on Thursday consisted largely of files that have been circulating in the public domain for years. The documents did not include any major revelations about the case.
Newsweek has contacted the Justice Department for comment via an online contact form.
Why It Matters
On Wednesday, Attorney General Pam Bondi had teased the release of the documents in a Fox News interview, saying it would include “a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information.”
Epstein died by suicide at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death sparked a wave of conspiracy theories because of his well-documented ties to some of the world’s most powerful people, including presidents, royals and billionaires.
Over the years, court documents have named people with ties to Epstein, but none has been the rumored Epstein “client list,” which some people believe would link high-profile names to sex crimes. On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump had suggested he would be open to releasing such a list.
Political commentator Rogan O’Handley, aka DC Draino; TikToker Chaya Raichik; conservative activist Scott Presler; commentator Liz Wheeler; and conservative political commentator Chad Prather carrying binders bearing the seal of the U.S. Justice Department that say… Political commentator Rogan O’Handley, aka DC Draino; TikToker Chaya Raichik; conservative activist Scott Presler; commentator Liz Wheeler; and conservative political commentator Chad Prather carrying binders bearing the seal of the U.S. Justice Department that say “The Epstein Files: Phase I” as they walk out of the White House, in Washington, D.C., on February 27. Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
What To Know
On Thursday, a small number of conservative influencers and political commentators received binders labeled “The Epstein Files: Phase I” while visiting the White House.
Hours later, the Justice Department posted the files on its website, saying, “The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.”
The rollout of the documents and lack of new information prompted criticism, including from conservatives who support the president.
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican from Florida who leads a task force focused on declassifying federal information, called the rollout a “complete disappointment.” She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!”
Laura Loomer, a hard-right activist and Trump supporter, wrote on X that the public couldn’t “trust the validity” of the documents because they were “released in an unprofessional manner with paid, partisan social media influencers to curate their binders for us.”
Representative Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat from Florida, called the release a “debacle,” adding that it had made the “the left and the right come together” online.
In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday, Bondi wrote that she had learned the FBI was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to Epstein that had not been disclosed to her office, though she had requested “full and complete files” related to him.
She directed Patel to “conduct an immediate investigation into why my order to the FBI was not followed.”
What People Are Saying
Representative Jared Moskowitz said on CNN on Thursday: “If you look at the traffic online over the Epstein release, I have never seen the left and the right come together in a moment on the debacle of what the Epstein release was today.”
Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote on X: “I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein’s phonebook. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!”
Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of the left-leaning MeidasTouch, wrote on X: “What a joke. So the big reveal on the Epstein Files is that SOME of them were given to a group of right-wing social media operatives? They turn everything into a clown show.”
Laura Loomer wrote in response to Filipkowski’s post: “Today I am in agreement with @RonFilipkowski. When the left and right come together to call something out, it’s time for some serious reflection.”
Actor Kevin Sorbo, an outspoken Trump supporter, wrote on X: “Our government used children who were trafficked as a publicity stunt. Disgusting. Release the files, now.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday: “By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28; the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records; documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained. There will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.”
Patel wrote on X on Thursday: “The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice. There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned—and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued.
“If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the Department of Justice will release additional documents related to Epstein.
