Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday that the first phase of convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein’s declassified files had been released to the public.
According to a press release by the U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein was a billionaire who was charged with sexually exploiting over 250 underage girls at his residences in New York City, Florida, and other locations in the U.S. and abroad. The press release notes this is the first time Epstein’s files have been formally released by the U.S. government.
The newly confirmed attorney general said the released files show how extensive Epstein’s and his “co-conspirator’s” network was.
“This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump’s commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators,” Bondi said. “The first phase of files released today sheds light on Epstein’s extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability.”
The press release further says that Bondi had requested the full and complete files related to Epstein, but the DOJ instead received approximately 200 pages of documents. Bondi was then informed that the full Epstein file contains thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein, however, these files had not been previously disclosed.
Bondi is demanding that the FBI provide all remaining documents to the DOJ by 8:00 a.m. on Feb. 28 and has given FBI Director Kash Patel the task of investigating why the request had not been fulfilled in the first place.
Patel said in a statement that the FBI has entered into a “new era” and that it will be defined by “integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice.”
“There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them,” Patel said. “And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise.”
The DOJ intends to release the full files upon review and redaction to protect any identifying information about Epstein’s victims.
