Now that President Donald Trump has signed a bill to force the Justice Department to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, the DOJ has 30 days to share all documents related to the now-convicted sex offender.
Congress rushed through the Epstein Files Transparency Act after months of resistance from Trump and Republican House leaders.
“I just signed the bill to release the Epstein files!” Trump wrote in all caps in a Truth Social post Wednesday night. “Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which concerns them much more than the Republican Party, to try to distract from our GREAT victories.”
A protracted battle between survivors of Epstein’s abuse, MAGA, rebel Republican Party representatives and Democrats culminated Tuesday in the bill clearing the House and Senate.
The legislation calls on Attorney General Pam Bondi to release the remaining unclassified documents in the case involving the disgraced financier, who died by suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges.
Epstein survivors and campaigners were jubilant as they saw the bill fly through the Senate, but questions remain about when the files might finally be released, especially as Bondi still has the power to redact and omit certain documents.
So far the Department of Justice has been silent on how it will proceed, and there is some fear that Bondi could stall the release of the files, despite the newly signed bill.
What does the Epstein Files Transparency Act say?
The legislation calls on Bondi to release within 30 days “all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials” in the possession of the Department of Justice, the FBI and any US Attorney’s Office relating to Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
It also calls for the release of files relating to individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with criminal activity in the case, and any corporate, nonprofit, academic or government entities “with known or alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein’s human trafficking or financial networks.”
But the bill also gives Bondi the power to withhold documents that contain sensitive information about a victim or child witness, depict or contain child pornography, or images of the death, physical abuse or injury of a person.
Crucially, the bill also states that Bondi can withhold or redact documents that could compromise an active federal investigation or prosecution, or contain information that is “specifically authorized by criteria established by executive order to be kept secret,” citing national defense or foreign policy.
How did Trump go from opposing the bill to signing it?
Trump initially strongly opposed the bill, calling the few Republicans who supported the measure from the start “weak.”
Even in his announcement of the bill signing, the president referred to the Epstein files as a Democrat “hoax.”
But on Sunday, Trump made a surprising about-face, telling Republicans in the House of Representatives to support the bill after a growing number of Republican lawmakers indicated they support the measure.
He later promised to sign the bill if it passed the House of Representatives and the Senate — though all along Trump had the power to order the release of the files with or without Congress.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “deeply disappointed” that the Senate passed the bill without making further changes, saying he and Trump “both have concerns.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told CNN he believed “30 days would be more than enough time” for the Justice Department to release the files.
Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Eric Schmitt also told CNN that the Justice Department should comply with the bill and release the records.
What did the Justice Department say?
The department has remained relatively silent on the bill to release the files.
Bondi addressed the Epstein files saga on her X account last Friday, where she responded to a Truth Social post from Trump directing her to launch an investigation into Epstein’s Democratic associates.
“Thank you, Mr. President. SDNY Attorney Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney, is one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country, and I have asked him to take the lead,” Bondi said. “As with all matters, the Department will pursue this with urgency and integrity to provide answers to the American people.”
At a press conference on Wednesday, Bondi said the department will “continue to follow the law,” when asked what her plan was after Congress passed the bill.
The biggest question remaining is whether the Trump administration will argue that this investigation means the documents cannot be released.
Bondi has already faced the wrath of MAGA after claiming in February that the files were “being left lying around”. [her] agency,” and invited right-wing influencers to a photo op at the White House, where they received folders of documents containing information that was largely already in the public domain.
Then, in July, the Justice Department and FBI issued a joint memo that effectively drew a line on the case by stating that no further documents would be released.
Since then, the issue has refused to go away and the White House became embroiled in a months-long controversy.
A former White House lawyer during Trump’s first term, Ty Cobb, told CNN he believed Bondi would block the release of the files by citing the ongoing investigation.
“I think [Trump] and Bondi have decided they will try to use Trump-ordered ‘investigations’ into Democrats — but not Republicans, as he said — as a disincentive to produce anything,” Cobb told the channel.
“I think it will be a long time before we see anything, although there are some documents that can be easily produced.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said it was “a very reasonable concern.”
“There is no reason to believe they will act independently in any way, especially now that Donald Trump has once again accused the Justice Department of weaponizing the federal government against people he considers his political opponents,” the Democrat said.
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