Epstein files: What’s getting released, when, and what to expect
When will the Epstein files be released?
NPR congressional correspondent Claudia Grisales joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss what to expect next, now that President Trump has signed a bill calling for the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files.
Three judges have now granted the Justice Department’s requests to unseal material from investigations into Jeffrey Epstein.
Here is what to know about the three cases, when to expect the documents and what to expect in them:
Epstein files release
Big picture view:
After months of mounting public and political pressure, Congress has passed and President Donald Trump has signed a law compelling the Justice Department to give the public everything it has on Epstein.
The law, dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandates the Justice Department to release all unclassified documents and investigative materials, including files relating to immunity deals and internal communications about whom to charge or investigate.
RELATED: Epstein files vote: Here's who voted against releasing the Epstein files
The backstory:
Questions about the government’s Epstein files have dominated the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, with pressure on him intensifying after he reneged on a campaign promise to release the files. His administration released some material, most of it already public, disappointing critics and some allies.
Timeline:
The legislation requires the Justice Department to make the documents public in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days of Trump signing it into law. That means no later than Dec. 19.
But some of the material could be temporarily withheld as it may pertain to an ongoing investigation ordered by Attorney General Pam Bondi last week into people who knew Epstein and some of Trump’s political foes, including former President Bill Clinton.
Dig deeper:
Here are the following cases related to Jeffrey Epstein in which some investigative files have been cleared for release:
- Grand jury investigation into Epstein’s abuse of underage girls in Florida
- Grand jury sex trafficking case against Epstein
- Grand jury sex trafficking case against Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell
In all three cases, the judge reversed earlier decisions to keep the case material sealed. But all three cited the new law passed on Nov. 18 that requires the government to open its files on both Epstein and Maxwell.
What to expect:
While there’s sure to be never-before-seen material in the thousands of pages likely to be released, a lot has already been made public, including by Congress and through litigation.
In terms of the Florida case, the files could shed more light on why federal prosecutors decided 20 years ago not to go forward with the case.
What not to expect:
Don’t expect a "client list" of famous men who cavorted with Epstein. Though such a list has long been rumored, the Justice Department said in July that it doesn’t exist.
Don’t expect to see any identifiable information about the victims that could warrant an invasion of personal privacy.
The release of any materials depicting the sexual abuse of children, or images of death, physical abuse, or injury is also barred.
Florida grand jury case against Epstein
Judge orders release of Epstein grand jury records
A federal judge in Florida granted the Justice Department’s request on Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, citing a new federal transparency law. The former Dean of Northeastern University's School of Law, Professor Jeremy Paul, joined LiveNOW from FOX's Josh Breslow to explain the ruling.
The backstory:
Police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in 2005 after he was accused of paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. The FBI then joined the investigation, but Epstein made a secret deal with the U.S. attorney in Florida to avoid federal charges, enabling him to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.
What's next:
Grand jury transcripts from the abandoned 2005 Florida investigation can be made public.
RELATED: Epstein files: Judge grants DOJ request to unseal grand jury records
Grand jury sex trafficking case against Epstein
FILE - US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Geoffrey Berman announces charges against Jeffery Epstein on July 8, 2019, in New York City. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
The backstory:
In 2019, during Trump’s first term, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging he sexually abused dozens of girls. He killed himself in jail a month after his arrest.
What's next:
Secret grand jury transcripts from the 2019 case can be made public.
Grand jury sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell
Judge grants DOJ request to unseal Maxwell records
A federal judge on Tuesday granted the Justice Department's request to unseal records from Ghislaine Maxwell's 2021 sex trafficking case.
The backstory:
In 2021, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted Epstein’s longtime confidante and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking for helping recruit some of his underage victims. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
What's next:
Grand jury transcripts and other material from Maxwell’s sex trafficking case can be made public.
READ MORE: Ghislaine Maxwell case: Judge grants request to unseal case records
The Source: Information in this article was taken from judges’ rulings in Florida and New York relating to Epstein and Maxwell’s grand jury cases. Background information was taken from The Associated Press and Previous FOX Television Station reportings. This story was reported from Detroit.