By Ralph Alswang, White House photographer
US authorities have uncovered more than one million additional documents that could be linked to the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which they now plan to make public in the coming days and weeks, according to government officials.
The newly identified materials were flagged to the Department of Justice (DoJ) by the FBI and federal prosecutors based in New York. Officials said the files were discovered during an ongoing review of records connected to Epstein-related investigations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the DoJ said teams of lawyers are working continuously to examine the documents and apply legally mandated redactions aimed at safeguarding victims’ identities. “We have attorneys working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said.
The DoJ cautioned that the review process could take several more weeks before the full set of files is released. The department has been under mounting pressure following its failure to meet a 19 December deadline imposed by a new federal law requiring the public disclosure of all Epstein-related materials.
Despite the delay, the DoJ said it remains committed to compliance. “The department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files,” the statement said.
Officials did not explain how the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York came across the newly discovered documents. Epstein was facing federal charges related to the sex trafficking of minors at the time of his death in a New York jail in 2019, where he was being held while awaiting trial.
The announcement follows the justice department’s recent release of thousands of Epstein-related documents, many of which were heavily redacted. Those disclosures form part of a broader, phased release process, with senior officials previously acknowledging that hundreds of thousands of records still remained unpublished.
The documents are being released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump. The legislation mandates the disclosure of all files related to Epstein while requiring the protection of victims’ identities.
Among the released materials are videos, photographs, emails and internal investigative records. However, many of the documents include extensive redactions, particularly names of individuals the FBI appears to have identified as potential co-conspirators in Epstein’s crimes.
The scope of those redactions has drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum. While the law allows redactions to protect victims and ongoing investigations, critics argue the justice department has gone beyond those limits.
Following the announcement of the additional document discovery, Representative Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused the White House of unlawfully withholding information. The committee has been closely examining the government’s handling of the Epstein case.
“Every day we see lies, incompetence, missed deadlines, and illegal redactions,” Garcia said in a statement posted on X.
The law signed by Trump last month explicitly prohibits redacting names or details solely on the grounds that they may be embarrassing or cause reputational harm. It also instructs the DoJ to release internal communications and memoranda detailing who was investigated and how decisions were made on whether to pursue charges, decline prosecution, or end investigations involving Epstein or his associates.
Included in the released files are emails that appear to have been exchanged among FBI personnel in 2019, referencing 10 individuals described as possible Epstein “co-conspirators.” According to the emails, six of those individuals were served subpoenas, including three based in Florida, and one each in Boston, New York City and Connecticut.
Identifying potential accomplices in Epstein’s crimes has been a central concern for survivors and for lawmakers pressing for greater transparency from the justice department.
Earlier releases of Epstein-related documents have already had significant international consequences. In the UK, Peter Mandelson was forced to step down as Britain’s ambassador to the United States after details emerged about his friendship with Epstein, including a message in which he told Epstein “I think the world of you” on the eve of Epstein beginning a jail sentence in June 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
In a letter to embassy staff, Lord Mandelson said he “deeply regretted” the circumstances surrounding his departure, describing his ambassadorship as “the privilege of my life.” He added that he continued “to feel utterly awful” about his association with Epstein two decades earlier and about the suffering of Epstein’s victims.
In another high-profile case, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lost his prince title in October and was ordered to vacate Royal Lodge, his Windsor residence, after years of scrutiny over his links to Epstein.
The most recent batch of documents released on Tuesday included a 2001 email sent by an individual identified only as “A,” writing from “Balmoral,” to Epstein’s close associate Ghislaine Maxwell. In the message, the sender asked: “Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”
Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking minors and other related offences.
The BBC has contacted representatives for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for comment. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, stating that he did not “see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction.”
More Epstein-related documents are expected to be released in the coming weeks as the justice department continues its review process.
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