Washington, January 31 – In a landmark move toward government transparency, the U.S. Department of Justice has begun releasing millions of records tied to the investigations and trials of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. This massive disclosure follows the completion of a mandated historical review under the newly enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch announced the release during a press conference, revealing that the department has made public over three million pages of documents. The trove includes more than 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 photographs, all declassified in compliance with the act that took effect on November 19, 2025.
‘This represents nearly 3.5 million pages released in full compliance with the act,’ Blanch stated, crediting a Herculean effort involving over 500 lawyers and experts from the FBI and various U.S. Attorney offices. The process featured nearly 75 days of twice-daily meetings, often more frequent, to sift through the materials.
Originally, over six million pages were eyed for potential release, but rigorous legal and privacy reviews pared down the final count. The disclosed materials encompass investigation documents, emails, interview summaries, photos, and videos gathered during probes into Epstein and Maxwell. Some videos and images contain commercial pornography or content seized from Epstein’s devices, not produced by him personally.
Certain sensitive information remains redacted per the law: victims’ personal or medical details, child sexual abuse material, documents harming ongoing investigations, and graphic images of violence or death. No records were withheld citing national security or foreign policy. To protect victims, all women’s faces and identities are obscured except for Maxwell’s; men’s identities are preserved unless necessary to shield women.
Lawmakers can access unredacted files with departmental approval. Addressing speculation, Blanch denied knowledge of any secret non-prosecution agreements claimed by Maxwell and dismissed accusations of shielding Trump or others. ‘We protected no one. We followed the law completely,’ he affirmed.
The DOJ will submit a detailed report to House and Senate Judiciary Committees outlining released and withheld records, fulfilling its obligations under the act.
Background: Financier Jeffrey Epstein, linked to powerful figures, died in a New York jail in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted and is serving a lengthy prison sentence.
