The US Justice Department released millions of Epstein’s files
Washington: The US Justice Department has begun releasing millions of records related to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The department said it has completed an unprecedented review ordered under a new transparency law signed by President Donald Trump.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch told reporters that the department is releasing more than three million pages of material, including more than 2,000 videos and nearly 180,000 photographs, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which became law on November 19, 2025.
“In total, this means the department has released approximately 3.5 million pages in compliance with this act,” Blanch said at a press conference at the Justice Department.
Blanch said the review involved more than 500 lawyers and professionals across multiple divisions, including the FBI and several US Attorneys’ offices. He said the teams met “twice a day, sometimes more” for approximately 75 days to complete the work.
Blanch said the department initially identified more than six million pages as potentially responsive, but released fewer records after applying legal and confidentiality standards. “We erred on the side of collecting more,” he said, adding that the final output was smaller due to the necessary waivers.
Blanch said the released material includes documents, emails, interview summaries, images, and videos collected during the investigation of Epstein and Maxwell. He said many of the videos and images included commercial pornography or material seized from Epstein’s devices that he did not create himself.
Blanch said the department withheld records in categories permitted under the law. These include files containing personal or medical information of victims, any depictions of child sexual abuse material, records that could jeopardize an active investigation, and images of death or physical abuse.
He stated that no records were withheld or redacted on national security or foreign policy grounds. The department also invoked standard legal privileges, including attorney-client and work product protections.
Blanche said that all women appearing in images or videos, except Maxwell’s, were redacted to protect the victims’ identities. He said that men were not redacted unless it was impossible to conceal the women without doing so. He said that members of Congress could review the unredacted material by arrangement with the department.
Responding to questions, Blancche said he was unaware of any secret non-litigation agreements claimed by Maxwell. He said, “As far as such arrangements are concerned, I am not aware of them.”
He rejected claims that the department was protecting President Trump or others. “We did not protect President Trump. We did not protect or protect anyone,” Blanch said, adding that the department fully complied with the law.
Blanch also said the Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into Alex Pretty’s death, describing it as a standard FBI investigation conducted in collaboration with other agencies. Citing the ongoing investigation, Blanch declined to discuss details.
The department will submit a mandatory report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees detailing the records released and withheld, as well as explanations for the redactions. He said that after publishing those explanations in the Federal Register, the department’s responsibilities under the Act will be complete.
Jeffrey Epstein, a financier with powerful connections, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime partner, was later convicted for her role in recruiting and abusing underage girls and is serving a lengthy prison sentence.
