Trump signs bill demanding his administration release Epstein files
WASHINGTON— President Trump signed a bill Wednesday night requiring the Justice Department to release all documents related to its investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The president announced the action with little fanfare, with a lengthy social media post attacking Democrats with ties to the late financier; It was a line of attack he frequently deployed while dismissing his and other Republicans’ ties to the scandal.
“Maybe the truth about these Democrats and their dealings with Jeffrey Epstein will come out soon, but I JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump shared a post on the social media platform Truth Social.
The focus now is on Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi stated that the legislation obligates the Department of Justice to retain “all declassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” no later than 30 days after the bill becomes law.
The action on the bill marks a dramatic shift for Trump, who worked for months to block the release of the Epstein files; until he reversed course Sunday under pressure from his party and called on Republican lawmakers to support the measure. Within days, the Senate and House overwhelmingly passed the bill and sent it to Trump’s desk.
Although Trump signed the bill into law, his resistance to releasing the files has sparked skepticism among some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who question whether the Justice Department will try to suppress the information.
“The real test will be: Will the Justice Department release the files, or will it all depend on the investigations?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said at a news conference Tuesday before the House and Senate passed the bill. Greene was among a small group of GOP defectors who joined Democrats in pushing to pass the legislation over Trump’s objections.
The legislation prohibits the attorney general from preventing, delaying, or redacting the release of “any record, document, communication, or investigative material by any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary, including on grounds of embarrassment, disrepute, or political sensitivity.”
Details in the bill could allow Trump and Bondi to withhold documents containing victims’ identification information or depictions of child sexual abuse material.
The law would also allow for the suppression of information “that would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided such retention is narrowly scoped and temporary.”
Trump last week ordered the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s ties to major banks and several prominent Democrats, including former President Clinton.
Bondi complied and appointed a top federal prosecutor to conduct the investigation “promptly and honestly.” In July, The Ministry of Justice determined After a thorough review, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence in the Epstein case “to provide a basis for an investigation against innocent third parties.”
At a news conference Wednesday, Bondi said the department had filed another case against Epstein after “new information” emerged.
Bondi did not say how the new investigation would affect the release of the files.
Asked whether the Epstein documents would be released within 30 days as stated in the law, Bondi said his department would “abide by the law.”
“We will continue to follow the law with maximum transparency while protecting victims,” Bondi said.
