US Justice Department Releases First Batch of Epstein Files Under New Transparency Law
The US Justice Department on Friday released the first set of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell under the recently passed Epstein Files Transparency Act. The move aims to provide the public with a clearer view of investigations spanning more than two decades.
Federal officials say additional files will be released in stages. According to reports, the documents outline key steps in the original investigations and may shed light on long-debated questions, including Epstein’s connections to high-profile individuals.
The newly released files trace the case back to 2005, when Palm Beach police began investigating allegations by a 14-year-old girl. Subsequent statements from underage victims led to a broader inquiry. In 2006, police recommended charges, but the state attorney moved the case to a grand jury, resulting in a lighter charge of soliciting prostitution. Epstein ultimately served 13 months in jail under a secret plea deal in 2008, including work release.
Public interest resurfaced multiple times: in 2011 and 2014, Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s allegations against Epstein and Maxwell drew media attention; in 2018, the Miami Herald highlighted the case in an extensive investigation; and in 2019, federal prosecutors in New York charged Epstein with sex trafficking, shortly before his death in jail. Maxwell was arrested in 2020, convicted in 2021, and sentenced in 2022.
The release comes amid heightened political attention. Interest surged after new court documents emerged in 2024 and again after Donald Trump returned to the White House in 2025. In November 2025, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, mandating the disclosure of federal records connected to Epstein and Maxwell.
Officials say the files may clarify longstanding questions while revealing new information. The Justice Department has pledged to release further documents in a series of stages, keeping the public informed as the investigation’s historical record becomes more accessible.
