The US Justice Department has published over 8,000 new documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, amid political pressure and accusations of withholding information.
WASHINGTON: At least 8,000 new documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made available on the US Department of Justice’s website.
The release follows the near-unanimous passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated the complete release of files by last Friday.
Democrats have criticised the DOJ for the slow release and heavy redaction of records from the investigation into Epstein.
A group of victims earlier complained that only a “fraction” of the files were released, calling them “riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation.”
The new files include hundreds of videos or audio recordings, notably surveillance footage from August 2019.
Epstein was found dead in his jail cell that month while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The DOJ posted around 11,000 links to new documents online, but some appeared to lead nowhere.
EFTA co-sponsors Ro Khanna, a Democrat, and Thomas Massie, a Republican, threatened contempt charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi for failing to comply.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution on Monday calling for legal action against the administration.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche blamed the delay on the need to redact the identities of Epstein’s more than 1,000 victims.
On Sunday, he denied allegations of protecting former President Donald Trump, who was once a close friend of Epstein’s.
Trump had initially tried to block the disclosure of the files.
The president, who cut ties with Epstein years before his arrest, finally bowed to mounting pressure from Congress.
He signed the law compelling publication of the files and faces no accusations of wrongdoing.
