Trump signs bill to release Epstein files

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump signed legislation on Wednesday ordering the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — files eagerly sought by both his political opponents and members of his own base who have pressed for greater transparency in the case.

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The material could shed more light on the activities of Epstein, who socialized with Trump and other notable figures before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The scandal has been a thorn in Trump's side for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters. Many Trump voters believe his administration has covered up Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death, which was ruled a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he faced federal sex trafficking charges.

Until recently, Trump had urged Republican lawmakers to oppose the measure, warning that releasing internal investigative records could set a precedent he viewed as harmful to the presidency, according to two congressional aides. But he reversed course this week as it became clear the bill had enough bipartisan support to pass with or without his backing.

Trump, a Republican, celebrated the signing in a social media post, saying the measure would help expose “the truth about certain Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein".

Trump accused Democrats of weaponizing the Epstein scandal to undermine his accomplishments and divert attention from what he called Republican policy victories. He portrayed Epstein as a Democratic ally and said the upcoming document release would expose “their associations” with him.

“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.

At a news conference earlier in the day, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the Justice Department will release its Epstein-related material within 30 days, as required by legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday.

"We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency," Bondi said.

FILES MAY NOT BE COMPREHENSIVE

The release of files, however, may not be comprehensive, because the legislation passed by Congress allows the Justice Department to hold back personal information about Epstein's victims and material that would jeopardize an active investigation.

Only 20% of Americans - including just 44% of Republicans - approve of how Trump has handled the Epstein case, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Some 70% of poll respondents - including 87% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans - said they believe the government is hiding information about Epstein's clients.

Trump last week ordered the agency to investigate several Democratic figures who associated with Epstein, and officials could decide not to release any information tied to those people.

The Justice Department regularly cites the need to protect ongoing investigations when withholding information from the public.

Courts had previously rejected requests by Trump’s Justice Department this year to unseal transcripts of proceedings before grand juries that investigated Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.