US Justice Department releases Initial Epstein docs amid transparency controversy

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has released the first phase of archived documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and convicted pedophile who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The release, comprising just over 100 pages, has sparked frustration among lawmakers and renewed calls for full disclosure of Epstein-related records.

The newly released documents, while offering a glimpse into Epstein’s network, contain no significant new allegations about his criminal activities or revelations about his high-profile associates.

Among the files was a list labeled "MASSEUSES," featuring 254 names—every single one redacted. Critics, including Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who heads the US House Republican task force on government transparency, quickly condemned the release as inadequate.

I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today… A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein's phonebook.

THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment.

GET US THE…

— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) February 27, 2025

Attorney General demands FBI action

In a public letter, US Attorney General Pam Bondi escalated the controversy by accusing the FBI of withholding critical evidence. Bondi revealed that she recently learned from a source that the FBI’s New York Field Office possesses thousands of additional pages tied to Epstein’s investigation and indictment—documents the agency failed to disclose despite her repeated requests.

“I am demanding that all information related to Jeffrey Epstein, regardless of how it was obtained, be turned over to my office by 8:00 a.m. EST this Friday,” Bondi wrote. She addressed the letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, urging an immediate investigation into why the files were kept under wraps.

Bondi’s deadline—13:00 GMT on Friday—underscores growing tensions between the DOJ and federal agencies over the handling of Epstein’s case, which has long been shrouded in secrecy and conspiracy theories.

A history of partial disclosures

Thursday’s document drop follows earlier releases tied to Epstein’s orbit. In a prior unsealing, a New York judge made public over 900 pages of records linked to a lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s convicted accomplice.

Those files referenced prominent figures like President Donald Trump, physicist Stephen Hawking, and entertainers Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Alec Baldwin, and Dustin Hoffman—none of whom have been implicated in Epstein’s crimes.

Epstein’s death in a New York jail cell in Aug. 2019, officially ruled a suicide, continues to fuel public skepticism. A 2023 DOJ report found no evidence of foul play but pointed to “negligence, misconduct, and outright job performance failures” by jail staff as factors enabling his suicide. Epstein’s extensive ties to influential figures have only deepened suspicions of a cover-up.

The latest developments highlight a broader clash between Congress and federal agencies over transparency in the Epstein saga. Luna and other lawmakers argue that the American public deserves unfiltered access to the full scope of the financier’s activities and connections. Bondi’s ultimatum to the FBI signals a potential turning point, but with thousands of pages reportedly still withheld, the fight for accountability is far from over.