**Content warning: This story mentions rape and sexual assault.**
On Jan. 30, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released over 3 million pages of files related to investigations into Jeffrey Epstein. This follows the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed by Congress in November 2025 that requires the U.S. attorney general to make all files regarding the criminal activities of Epstein “publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format.”
The most recent releases contain references to several high-status individuals, such as President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Bill Clinton. This, in addition to the graphic content in the files, has sparked conversations about the circle surrounding Epstein and the level of their involvement in his crimes.
What’s Been Released
Included in the millions of files released are written affidavits submitted to the FBI, images and videos taken in the Epstein estates, emails, and other digital files. These files contain graphic descriptions of sexual assault, mutilation, cannibalism, and torture.
Photos within the files show many well-known figures, some of whom continue to claim no connection to Epstein’s crimes. These images range in content, with some displaying dinner parties and others depicting explicit and illegal behaviors.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who’s currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, and Epstein are photographed alongside several individuals, including, but not limited to, Trump, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Mick Jagger, David Copperfield, and Noam Chomsky.
These files also contain documented correspondence between Epstein and several other individuals, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Larry Summers, and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Alongside written testimonies from victims submitted to the FBI, the recent releases also include scanned images of journals written by victims. Several of these journals, including EFTA02731361, include coded information and clippings of magazines that create further description of the crimes that occurred.
The decoded messages are interspersed throughout, with one reading, “I can’t go to school like this. I can’t stop shaking. Why won’t anyone make it stop.”
While some of the explicit content hasn’t been redacted, the DOJ has redacted several other portions of the files, with some files being fully redacted upon release. As a result, these redactions have begun to receive backlash.
What People are saying
The released files, which are publicly accessible on the DOJ website, contain heavy redactions of the people either corresponding with or pictured with Epstein. However, included in the release of 3 million files were files containing nude images of those trafficked and assaulted. In these photos, the faces and identities of the victims weren’t redacted. These images were then largely removed.
Many have pointed to this in arguments claiming the DOJ isn’t acting in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. This law states that “no record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary.”
There are only five kinds of permitted redactions — records that contain information that leads to identifying victims; would jeopardize ongoing investigations; depict or contain child sexual abuse materials; depict or contain images of death, physical abuse, or injury; or are established through an Executive Order to be in national security’s best interest to remain secret.
What Happens Next?
With the release of these files, several international figures have been revealed to have had connections to Epstein, leading to several new investigations set to open in other countries.
Norway is one of them, with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thorbørn Jagland, and current leader of the World Economic Forum Børge Brende all holding connections to Epstein.
Norwegian media is reporting that the majority of Norway’s political parties are in support of an independent inquiry, though Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre would prefer it be conducted through parliament.
The United Kingdom’s former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is also featured in the files, including in images that depict him kneeling over a woman whose face has been redacted. On Feb. 4, it was reported that Mountbatten-Windsor moved out of the Windsor estate overnight and will now be residing at the King’s Norfolk estate.
The U.K. publication The Sun reported that “leaving was so humiliating for him that he chose to do it under the cover of darkness,” according to an unnamed source close to Mountbatten-Windsor.
As of Feb. 5, Hillary and Bill Clinton have agreed to testify in front of Congress to avoid being held in contempt, with deposition dates being set for Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, respectively.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer said in a statement that, when “it became clear that we would hold them in contempt, the Clintons completely caved.”
Terms for these depositions are still being established. On Feb. 9, members of Congress will be able to view unredacted copies of the files.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.
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