US

Trump signs bill approving release of Epstein files

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Donald Trump has signed a bill approving the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein by the US Justice Department.

“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” he said in a Truth Social post, following a lengthy preamble aimed at discrediting the Democrats.

“Democrats have used the ‘Epstein’ issue, which affects them far more than the Republican Party, in order to try and distract from our AMAZING Victories,” he continued.

Image:
Donald Trump speaking in Washington earlier on Wednesday. Pic: Reuters

It comes after the Senate finished the formalities and sent the proposed legislation to the president’s desk, having comfortably cleared a vote in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The Justice Department now has 30 days to release the documents it holds on the paedophile financier.

WHAT DOES THE BILL SAY MUST BE RELEASED?

  • All files relating to Epstein, including investigations, prosecutions, or custodial matters;
  • All files relating to Ghislaine Maxwell;
  • Flight logs or travel records for any aircraft, vessel, or vehicle owned, operated, or used by Epstein or any related entity;
  • Individuals named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigations;
  • Entities with known or alleged ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks;
  • Any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his associates;
  • Internal DOJ communications concerning decisions to charge, not charge, investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his associates;
  • All communications concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration, misplacement, or concealment of files related to Epstein;
  • Documentation of Epstein’s detention or death, including witness interviews and autopsy reports.

How did we get here?

Mr Trump promised during last year’s election campaign to release the Epstein files in full, but has since spent months decrying them as a Democratic “hoax”.

His links to the Epstein have long been subject to scrutiny. Mr Trump has always denied any wrongdoing.

His change of heart on releasing the files came as a surprise over the weekend, as he called on Republicans in Congress to vote for the so-called Epstein Files Bill and indicated he’d sign it.

“Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor [sic] of passage,” Mr Trump wrote in his late-night post announcing the signing of the bill.

The House of Representatives was indeed near unanimous in voting for the material to be released, with 427 in favour and one against.

Hot on the heels of that vote, which was met with cheers in the chamber, the Senate said it too would pass the bill.

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House passes bill to release all Epstein files

Trump tries to tie Democrats to Epstein

Mr Trump’s post repeatedly labels Epstein as a Democrat, citing his past associations with the likes of Bill Clinton.

Mr Trump has said he wants the Justice Department to investigate Epstein’s links to Mr Clinton, former treasury secretary Larry Summers, and Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn founder, who is also a prominent Democratic donor.

All three men were mentioned in the 20,000 other Epstein-related documents released by Congress’s House Oversight Committee last week. None of them, however, have been accused of wrongdoing in the case.

A big question remains

Prosecutors don’t usually release documents during a live investigation.

That’s raised questions about whether the Justice Department will redact or withhold certain files.

There’s also going to be a lot of information about people not accused of any wrongdoing.

So, the question remains: will the files actually be released fully – and unredacted?

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Emails, photos and other documents released by Congress in recent weeks have included references to Mr Trump, the UK’s since sacked US ambassador Lord Mandelson, and former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who has faced calls from members of the committee to give evidence.

Like Mr Trump, both Britons have denied any wrongdoing and expressed regret about their relationship with Epstein.

The deadline for Mr Mountbatten-Windsor to respond to an official request from the committee is today.

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What’s at stake for Andrew at US Congress committee?

Unrest in MAGA world

The issue has proved to be a major source of division within Mr Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.

Marjorie Taylor Greene, a long-time Trump backer who publicly fell out with the president just days ago, stood with Epstein survivors on the steps of the Capitol ahead of Tuesday’s Congress votes.

She said: “These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight. And they did it by banding together and never giving up.”

Read more: Who is Marjorie Taylor Greene?

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‘A day Trump didn’t want to see for a long time’

Epstein died by suicide in his prison cell in August 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

He was already a registered sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state changes of unlawfully paying a teenage girl for sex.

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