Overhyped? Justice Department’s Epstein Document Release Falls Flat
The US Justice Department released documents related to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, but the first batch posted publicly contained no new revelations about his connections to prominent figures, disappointing those who had anticipated bombshell disclosures.
Attorney General Pam Bondi first shared the materials with conservative social media influencers at the White House before making them public. The documents included copies of flight logs from Epstein’s private plane, a heavily redacted address book, and a completely blacked-out list of “MASSEUSES.”
“The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government,” the Justice Department noted in a statement accompanying the release.
Read: Donald Trump Expresses Reluctance to Declassify Epstein Files: “Phony Stuff”
Bondi had heightened expectations during a Wednesday Fox News interview, saying she would release “a lot of names, a lot of information — it’s pretty sick what that man did.” She later demanded FBI Director Kash Patel provide “the full and complete Epstein files” by Friday morning. And then there was also this:
Conservative influencer Liz Wheeler, who received early access to the documents, acknowledged the lack of new information during a livestream. “We’re all waiting for bombshells… And that’s not what’s in this binder,” Wheeler told her followers.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who leads a House GOP task force on government transparency, called the release a “complete disappointment” on social media.
Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, had connections to numerous high-profile figures including former presidents and business leaders. His death was ruled a suicide.
The address book released Thursday appeared to match one previously published by news outlets in 2015 and 2021, containing names including Michael Jackson, Prince Andrew, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Read: Trump Flew on Epstein’s Plane for Weekend Fundraisers
President Donald Trump, who was in office when Epstein was arrested, has publicly distanced himself from the disgraced financier, though he was among the prominent individuals who had associated with Epstein in the past.
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