President Donald Trump signed legislation Wednesday night requiring the Justice Department to make public its investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein, launching a 30-day deadline that could produce one of the largest federal case-file disclosures in recent memory.
In a long Truth Social post following the signing, Trump celebrated the bill and claimed the forthcoming records will expose ties between Epstein and prominent Democrats. He wrote that Epstein “was charged by the Trump Justice Department in 2019,” described him as “a lifelong Democrat,” and listed several Democratic figures he says were connected to Epstein, adding: “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 legislation passed both chambers of Congress by overwhelming margins after months of pressure from lawmakers and survivors of Epstein’s abuse. Advocates have long argued that a full public accounting is necessary to understand the scope of Epstein’s network and to ensure accountability for anyone who enabled him.
A federal judge has estimated the collected files at roughly 100,000 pages. They span years of investigations into Epstein, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and their connections to public figures.
Under the new law, Attorney General Pam Bondi must release nearly all investigative material, including FBI interview notes, internal Justice Department communications, evidence gathered across multiple probes, and documents related to Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody. The measure still protects certain categories of information, such as victims’ identities, child sexual abuse images, and classified national-security details.
Crucially, the bill bars officials from withholding or heavily redacting information solely to prevent embarrassment, reputational fallout, or political sensitivity — even when public officials or foreign dignitaries are involved.
Bondi offered few specifics Wednesday about how the department will handle the rollout. Asked at a press conference what exactly would be released and when, she said the Justice Department would “continue to follow the law with maximum transparency,” but did not provide a timeline for any additional releases or clarify what might be kept back due to ongoing inquiries.
That uncertainty is heightened by Bondi’s recent directive to U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to open a new investigation into Epstein’s alleged ties to Trump’s political opponents — an order she issued after Trump publicly demanded further review. The directive drew immediate scrutiny, coming weeks after a July FBI memo said investigators had found no evidence that would justify opening cases against “uncharged third parties.” Bondi said the renewed probe was based on “new information,” but declined to explain what that information was.
Epstein’s contact list — often referred to as his “black book” — first became public in fragments after his butler attempted to sell it in 2009. The FBI later seized it, sections surfaced publicly in 2015, and over time it became widely available through court filings and leaks before a formal government release.
Both the black book and flight logs have included the names of high-profile individuals such as Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, Alan Dershowitz, Kevin Spacey, Jean-Luc Brunel, Larry Summers, and Trump. None of those people have been convicted of an Epstein-related offense, and each has denied wrongdoing.
The political fight around Epstein has intensified again after House Oversight Committee Democrats released new emails from Epstein’s estate. Those messages reference Trump directly, including Epstein’s description of Trump as “the dog that hasn’t barked,” an allegation that Trump spent time at Epstein’s home with an unnamed victim, and a claim that Trump asked Epstein to leave Mar-a-Lago after learning of misconduct accusations.
Democratic lawmakers have suggested the unnamed victim may be Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who died by suicide earlier this year.
The law allows the department to delay releasing documents connected to active investigations. Some supporters worry that newly opened inquiries could be used to postpone or limit politically sensitive disclosures. To reduce that risk, the measure requires the Justice Department to publish — within 15 days of any release — a detailed accounting of every withheld document and each redaction, along with the reason for it. Survivors and their advocates say this transparency mechanism is essential, since many have long sought public identification of alleged enablers but feared retaliation or lawsuits.
Rep. Thomas Massie, the bill’s sponsor, said he wants the FBI to release its victim interview notes as part of the dump.
“We need names,” he said.
Trump echoed that urgency in his Truth Social post, claiming his administration had already turned over nearly 50,000 pages to Congress and accusing the Biden administration of failing to do the same. He also framed Democratic focus on Epstein as a political attack, predicting it would backfire.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene raised enforcement concerns earlier this week, asking whether the Justice Department would truly release the files or keep them tied up through continuing investigations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats will press for “full, unredacted” compliance once the clock runs out, warning against any attempt to conceal information. “No hiding, no game playing, no covering up,” he said.
The law now requires the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related investigative files and communications — including material tied to the inquiry into his death — within 30 days of Trump’s signature. The first major disclosure is expected before that deadline expires.
