WASHINGTON DC – President Donald Trump announced late Wednesday that he has signed legislation greenlighting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release a wide array of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, asserting that he had personally requested the bill’s passage from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. He claimed the resulting near-unanimous votes demonstrating the impact of his request.
The move follows months of bipartisan pressure and a recent reversal by the President, who had previously faced scrutiny after his own Justice Department and FBI announced in July they would not unseal certain investigative materials and had closed their case into Epstein.
Bipartisan Vote and DOJ Directive
The Epstein Files Transparency Act passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a commanding 421–1 vote, driven by efforts from Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). It subsequently passed the Senate hours later by unanimous consent.
The law specifically mandates the DOJ to release all unclassified records and investigative materials related to Epstein, his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, details surrounding trafficking allegations, and internal DOJ communications, including any information related to the investigation into his death.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed on Wednesday that she will comply with the law, which directs the Justice Department to release the files online in a searchable format within 30 days. However, files containing victims’ names, child sex abuse materials, or classified information may be withheld or redacted.
Concerns Over Privacy and Whistleblowers
The lone dissenting vote in the House came from Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), who expressed concern that “this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people — witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), despite ultimately voting in favor of the measure, shared similar reservations. “Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to reporters? It’s very dangerous. It would deter future whistleblowers and informants,” Johnson stated during a press conference. He also warned the release could “publicly reveal the identity… of undercover law enforcement officers.”
Trump’s Changing Stance and Political Remarks
The President has recently embraced the call for transparency, stating on Sunday that he supported the release because he had “nothing to hide.”
However, in his Wednesday statement, Trump framed the Epstein case as a “Democrat Hoax,” pivoting the focus onto the current administration. “Do not forget — The Biden Administration did not turn over a SINGLE file or page related to Democrat Epstein, nor did they ever even talk about him,” Trump wrote.
The push to release the files gained significant momentum after Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three emails provided by Epstein’s estate on Wednesday that referenced Trump. Republicans, in turn, released their own stash of 20,000 pages of Epstein documents the same day. These documents include emails between Epstein and Maxwell, as well as correspondence with figures like author Michael Wolff and former President Barack Obama’s White House counsel Kathy Ruemmler, where Trump’s name is mentioned.
The upcoming release of the documents is expected to shed light on one of the most high-profile and controversial cases in recent American legal history.