WASHINGTON: The US Justice Division mentioned on Wednesday (Dec 24) it has uncovered multiple million further paperwork probably linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, delaying the total public launch of the recordsdata by a number of weeks as officers perform legally required redactions.
The newly recognized materials was discovered by the FBI and the US Lawyer’s Workplace in Manhattan, the division mentioned in a message posted on social media, with out giving particulars on when or how the paperwork had been found.
President Donald Trump’s administration started releasing recordsdata associated to prison investigations into Epstein to adjust to a transparency regulation handed by Congress final month. The regulation requires the disclosure of all Epstein-related information by December 19, whereas permitting redactions to guard victims.
Each Republicans and Democrats backed the laws over Trump’s objections. Nevertheless, releases up to now have included intensive redactions, irritating some lawmakers and doing little to quell controversy surrounding the dealing with of the recordsdata forward of the 2026 midterm elections.
In its assertion, the Justice Division mentioned the sheer quantity of newly recognized paperwork means the evaluation course of will take longer.
“We’ve attorneys working across the clock to evaluation and make the legally required redactions to guard victims, and we are going to launch the paperwork as quickly as potential,” the division mentioned, including that the method might take “a couple of extra weeks”.
Epstein, a rich financier with highly effective connections, was arrested in 2019 on federal intercourse trafficking expenses and later discovered useless in a New York jail cell in what authorities dominated a suicide. The case has continued to gasoline intense public and political scrutiny, significantly over who knew what about his actions and when.
The Justice Division has mentioned it stays dedicated to releasing the fabric consistent with the regulation, whereas making certain the privateness and security of Epstein’s victims are protected.
