What We Know About the Epstein Files?

The words “Epstein files” have been haunting the Trump administration for weeks as it grapples with a growing crisis stemming from the sex crimes of late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Pressure has been growing from President Donald Trump’s own supporters and from voices within his own Republican Party for more transparency on what the investigations into Epstein uncovered.

Reports have emerged that Trump himself was told in May by his attorney general that his name appeared in files related to the investigations.

He was friends with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, and being named is not evidence of any criminal activity, nor has Trump ever been accused of wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein matter.

The president said while campaigning for the 2024 election that he would be open to making public more information.

But he changed his position earlier this month, saying the case was closed and even criticising his own supporters who have continued to press him on it.

What are the Epstein files?

In 2008, Epstein reached a plea deal with prosecutors after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home.

Photos of girls were found throughout the house, and he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor, for which he was registered as a sex offender and escaped a heavy jail sentence as a result of the deal.

Eleven years later, he was charged with running a network of underage girls for sex. He died in prison while awaiting trial, and his death was ruled a suicide.

These two criminal investigations amassed a vast trove of documents including transcripts of interviews with victims and witnesses, and items confiscated from raids of his various properties.

There was also a separate investigation into his British co-conspirator and ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to traffic girls for sex.

Both Epstein and Maxwell were also the subject of civil cases.

What has already been released on Epstein?

At various stages over the years, some materials have been put into the public domain relating to both Epstein and Maxwell.

One batch, in January 2024, contained 1,400 pages of records, including depositions with both. A trove of documents in the Maxwell case was also made public, in which several high-profile figures were named. But they contained no new revelations about Epstein or his associates.

In February this year, weeks after Trump took office, the Department of Justice and the FBI released what they described at the time as the “first phase of the declassified Epstein files”.

A group of right-wing influencers were invited to the White House but they were left disappointed when they realised that the 341 pages handed to them were mostly material that was already out there.

it included flight logs from Epstein’s plane and a redacted version of his contacts book containing the names of famous people he knew.

In July, the Department of Justice and FBI said in a memo that no more material would be released.

Who is named in the Epstein files?

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump himself is named in unreleased documents that relate to Epstein, and was told as much by Attorney General Pam Bondi in May. The paper noted that being named in the files was not evidence of wrongdoing.

The White House gave mixed messages in response. Spokesman Steven Cheung pushed back, calling the story “fake”, although an unnamed official speaking to Reuters said the administration did not dispute that Trump’s name was included.

Although the contents of any unreleased documents remain unknown, the existing materials in the public domain mention a number of high-profile figures who were connected Epstein.

Again, this does not imply any wrongdoing by those individuals.

Dozens of names were mentioned in a release of court documents in 2024. Prince Andrew, former US President Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson were among the associates, friends and alleged victims named in the 900 pages that were unsealed.

Both the former US president and the British royal deny any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Jackson died in 2009.

The release of documents related to the case of Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving 20 years in prison for child sex trafficking.

Is there an Epstein client list?

It has been suggested that unreleased Epstein files could contain a so-called client list that might implicate high-profile associates besides Maxwell in his criminal operation.

In their memo in July, the DoJ and FBI stated that no such list existed.

However, conspiracy theories persist.

The purported list has sometimes been conflated with the wider Epstein files, and remarks by Bondi have fuelled the confusion.

The statement by Bondi’s justice department that there was no client list appeared to contradict her comments earlier in the year. When asked by Fox News interviewer about the rumoured list in February, she responded: “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.”

Bondi’s spokesman later clarified that she had been referring to overall files in the Epstein issue.

What do we know about Trump/Epstein relationship?

Trump and Epstein appear to have been friends for a number of years, keeping a similar social circle.