U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a bill that mandates his administration to disclose files concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, yielding to internal political pressure after initially resisting such demands. Trump had the option to release these files independently several months earlier.
In a social media post announcing his approval of the bill, Trump accused Democrats of exploiting the ‘Epstein’ matter to divert attention from what he termed as the Republican Party’s significant achievements. The legislation compels the U.S. Justice Department to unveil all documents and communications related to Epstein, including details of the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019, within 30 days. The bill allows redactions concerning Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal inquiries but prohibits the withholding of information due to “embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”
The Trump administration, as recently as last week, had actively opposed the release of these files. However, facing inevitable congressional action, Trump executed a dramatic reversal of his stance over the weekend, stating that the Epstein issue had become a distraction to his policy agenda.
The House of Representatives passed the bill with a 427-1 vote, with Republican Rep. Clay Higgins being the sole dissenter, citing concerns that innocent individuals mentioned in the federal investigation could have their information disclosed. The Senate subsequently ratified the bill unanimously without a formal vote.
Although it is well-documented that Trump and Epstein were acquaintances, Trump has consistently denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities, asserting that he had severed ties with Epstein long before. Prior to Trump’s reelection bid, some of his closest allies propagated conspiracy theories about the government concealing potentially incriminating details in the Epstein case files.
