US President Donald Trump has signed legislation compelling the Department of Justice to release investigative files relating to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, following months of resistance from the White House and senior Republicans.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed almost unanimously by both chambers of Congress, requires the Justice Department to make public “all unclassified documents and records” concerning Epstein in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days.
The House of Representatives approved the bill by 427–1, with Republican Clay Higgins casting the sole vote against. Five members did not vote. The Senate then cleared the measure by unanimous consent, sending it to Trump’s desk on Tuesday; he signed it into law on Wednesday.
Although the president could have ordered the release of the material without legislation, the Act now places a statutory obligation on the Justice Department and introduces deadlines and reporting requirements to Congress.
Under the law, Attorney General Pam Bondi must publish all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials relating to Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. Any unclassified files must be released publicly, while a separate unredacted list of “government officials and politically exposed persons” named in the material is to be provided confidentially to the judiciary committees in both the House and Senate.
Some redactions will still be permitted. Information may be withheld where its disclosure would identify victims, constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, or jeopardise an active federal investigation or prosecution. Bondi retains discretion to delay or redact releases on those grounds, a point that has already prompted concern among some of the Act’s supporters.
Republican congressman Thomas Massie, one of the principal architects of the bill and the lawmaker who initiated the discharge petition that forced House leaders to hold a vote, has warned that the administration could use fresh investigations as a basis for limiting what is made public. He said he feared a “flurry of investigations” could be cited to justify withholding files on the grounds of ongoing inquiries.
Trump had opposed releasing the full Justice Department archive for much of the year, with officials previously closing their Epstein review and indicating that no further disclosures were planned. The president shifted position last week after sustained pressure from Epstein’s victims, campaigners and members of both parties. He urged House Republicans to back the bill and said the administration had “nothing to hide”.
Following his signature, Trump used his Truth Social platform to characterise Democrats as the main beneficiaries of Epstein’s network, suggesting the files would expose their alleged links to the financier. He said the opposition was using the issue to divert attention from his administration’s record, and wrote that “perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed”.
Epstein, a financier with extensive social and political connections, died in a New York federal jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. A coroner ruled his death a suicide. He had previously been convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor.
The files to be released under the Act include internal Justice Department communications, records from criminal investigations, transcripts of victim and witness interviews and items seized in raids on Epstein’s properties, as well as flight logs and records of individuals and entities connected to him. They are distinct from more than 20,000 pages of civil litigation and estate documents released via the courts and Congress in recent months.
Those earlier disclosures contained references to Trump, including 2018 messages in which Epstein claimed he could “take down” the future president and said he knew “how dirty Donald is”. Trump was socially acquainted with Epstein for years but has said they fell out in the early 2000s, before Epstein’s first arrest, and has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The new law follows a growing public campaign in the United States for full transparency around Epstein’s activities and his relationships with high-profile figures in politics, business, academia and entertainment. Opinion polling in September suggested overwhelming support for making at least some of the files public, with clear majorities across party lines favouring disclosure with victims’ names removed.
Victims’ lawyers and transparency advocates will now focus on how the Justice Department interprets its new obligations, particularly the scope of any redactions and the department’s approach to material potentially touching on current investigations. Bondi has said her department will “follow the law” and has encouraged any additional victims to come forward.
Jeffrey Epstein’s Bid to Help Moscow ‘Understand Trump’ Raises New Questions Over Kremlin Strategy
