The US government must release its Jeffrey Epstein records by Friday under a new law, but redactions and political tensions may limit transparency
WASHINGTON: The US government faces a Friday deadline to release decades of secret records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Department of Justice must disclose its vast archive on the late financier’s sex-trafficking network by 19 December.
The release offers the clearest public opportunity yet to understand one of the century’s most enduring scandals.
Transparency advocates caution that key details may still be withheld under government claims of legal constraints.
For President Donald Trump, who faced questions over his past friendship with Epstein, the disclosure could prove awkward.
Trump and his allies have long alleged powerful Democrats were shielded from accountability for their involvement.
The president initially dismissed the transparency push as a “Democrat hoax” upon returning to office.
He appeared to change tack in November, signing the act into law after it passed Congress almost unanimously.
The files could illuminate how Epstein operated and who helped him.
Survivors are hopeful but wary of the changing stances adopted by Trump, who is not accused of wrongdoing.
“I can’t help to be skeptical of what the agenda is,” said survivor Haley Robson, who was recruited at age 16.
The law compels officials to open internal correspondence, investigative material and previously sealed court records.
That includes victim statements, flight logs, seized electronic devices and documentation of Epstein’s death in custody.
The mandate may expose new associates and clarify why prosecutors hesitated for years.
Hopes for a definitive “client list” are misplaced, as the Department of Justice says no such roster exists.
Disclosure applies only to records that do not identify victims or jeopardise active investigations.
The Department of Justice has latitude to black out victims’ names, classified intelligence and litigation-sensitive material.
Observers expect heavy redactions, although the law forbids censorship for “embarrassment” or “political sensitivity.”
Trump recently ordered probes into Democrats linked to Epstein, fueling speculation files could be withheld.
The scandal remains explosive at the intersection of wealth, power and impunity.
Epstein secured an extraordinary 2008 plea bargain potentially shielding unnamed co-conspirators.
His arrest and subsequent death in a New York jail, ruled a suicide, reignited scrutiny of his long operation.
Senator Ron Wyden is doubtful Attorney General Pam Bondi will allow comprehensive disclosure.
He is spearheading his own investigation into institutions he accuses of shielding Epstein.
“We need both lanes, because I don’t trust Bondi and following the money is how, in our country, we’ve had a long history of catching and rooting out corrupt behavior,” he said. – AFP
