US President Donald Trump has signed a new federal law compelling the Department of Justice to release all investigative files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, within 30 days.
The legislation mandates that the documents be made public in a “searchable and downloadable format,” marking the most significant move yet to open decades of sealed records connected to Epstein’s network and crimes.
Trump, who had previously opposed making the files public, reversed his position last week following mounting pressure from Epstein’s victims, transparency advocates, and several senior Republicans.
His endorsement helped push the bill through Congress, where it passed the House in a 427–1 vote and cleared the Senate with unanimous support.
Announcing the development, Trump declared:
“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!”
The new release will include materials from federal criminal investigations, including witness and victim interviews, seized property records, internal Justice Department communications, flight logs, and details of individuals and organisations linked to Epstein and his long-time associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
These files differ from the over 20,000 pages released by Congress last week from Epstein’s estate documents that included 2018 messages in which Epstein claimed:
“I am the one able to take [Trump] down” and “I know how dirty donald is.”
Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintains that he cut ties with Epstein in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein’s first arrest.
Nonetheless, the financier had links to several high-profile individuals, including British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, and multiple figures across politics, media, and entertainment.
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers who died by suicide earlier this year described Trump’s approval of the bill as “nothing short of monumental.”
“Every name must be revealed, regardless of power, wealth, or party affiliation,” the family said.
Under the new law, Attorney General Pam Bondi is required to release “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” tied to Epstein and Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
However, the Attorney General may withhold portions of the files that could jeopardise ongoing investigations, breach personal privacy, or expose victims’ identities.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the lawmakers behind the bill, expressed concern that federal agencies might attempt to use new investigations as grounds to keep some records sealed.
“I’m concerned they may use those investigations as a predicate for not releasing the files,” he warned.
Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
More details to follow.
