More than three million Jeffrey Epstein files released

More than three million Jeffrey Epstein files released
Millions of files have been released by the US justice department digging more into Epstein’s life (Picture: AP)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday released more than 3 million pages of records related to its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein, including videos and images, officials said.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters the material posted online includes more than 2,000 videos and about 180,000 images. The disclosures are part of the department’s effort to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed last year that requires the Justice Department to make public all unclassified material in its possession about Epstein and his close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Blanche said the release supplements earlier batches of records, some of which were posted in December. The files include a wide range of documents, such as interview transcripts, call logs and court records, many of which were previously heavily redacted before release.

The department missed a Dec. 19 deadline set by the law for completing the disclosures, prompting criticism from lawmakers. Justice officials have said hundreds of attorneys reviewed the materials to ensure sensitive information, including identities of sexual abuse victims, was redacted before publication.

Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein.

The department did not say how many of the remaining records have been made public or when the full set of unclassified files will be available.