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DOJ Releases First Batch of Epstein Files
Posted
December 19, 2025
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December 19, 2025
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11:31Now Playing- The US Justice Department released thousands of pages of pictures, phone records and notes from investigations into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealing new details about the late financier’s relationships with prominent business leaders and politicians.
The department said more files will be released in coming weeks because the volume of material was too much to process by the Friday deadline set by Congress, sparking rebukes from many Democrats. The tranche included heavy redactions, a step intended to comply with the provisions of the law including protections for survivors and other accommodations.
As with previous disclosures, the documents included images of celebrities and politicians in Epstein’s orbit. Former President Bill Clinton featured prominently in some, and Trump administration officials took to social media to highlight pictures of him with the late musician Michael Jackson, who faced his own allegations of sexual abuse.
Another photo shows Clinton swimming with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. A Clinton spokesperson accused the administration of releasing photos of the ex-president as a diversionary tactic. Clinton has previously denied knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Bloomberg News Senior Investigative Reporter Jason Leopold joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. He speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec.
Follow updated coverage of the files at and find more from the Justice Department’s Epstein library here
The disclosure came after Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation in November compelling the department to make the files public. President Donald Trump had long resisted the move but relented and signed the bill as pressure from Republican lawmakers forced his hand.
At least one photo of Trump and First Lady Melania Trump with Maxwell was also part of the disclosure, though an initial review of the files revealed relatively few mentions of the current president. Other celebrities and business leaders including Richard Branson, Kevin Spacey and Bill Gates appear in images within the collection. A Bank of America statement for private equity titan Leon Black and his wife Debra, appears in the tranche.
Spacey said in an interview with Piers Morgan last year that he was invited by Clinton to be part of an AIDS awareness trip to Africa in 2002. They traveled on Epstein’s jet and Spacey said he didn’t know the financier. In a post on X in July, the actor urged the release of the Epstein files, saying “for those of us with nothing to fear, the truth can’t come soon enough.”
Representatives at Branson’s Virgin Group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours but representatives for him have previously denied any personal or business relationship with Epstein.
Gates and Black are among those who had previously denied knowing about or participating in inappropriate conduct with Epstein. A message left at Elysium Management, Black’s family office, wasn’t immediately returned.
Epstein’s ties with Black have been well documented, with Black paying at least $158 million to Epstein between 2012 and 2017 for tax advice. Aside from his role as Black’s wealth adviser, Epstein had called him one of his closest friends.
The unexpected plan to gradually release the files may do little to quell the conspiracy theories and political attacks that ruptured parts of Trump’s base and animated Democrats. Congressional Democrats accused the administration of protecting Trump with the incomplete release.
“The Justice Department’s failure to fully comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act not only violates the law, it continues this administration’s pattern of protecting President Trump and other perpetrators and perpetuating the ongoing Bondi-Patel cover up at the expense of Epstein’s survivors.” Josh Sorbe, a spokesman for Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement, referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI director Kash Patel.
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