New Documents in the Epstein Case: How Did the U.S. Department of Justice Handle Victims' Information?

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday released a new batch of documents from its investigations into the case of the late American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual crimes, yielding to pressure from lawmakers who forced the department to disclose them under a new law.

This release comes after months of political disputes amid anger from some of President Donald Trump's strongest supporters over his administration's reluctance to publish all records related to the Epstein investigations, according to Reuters news agency.

The department added a note to the webpage where it posted links to the documents stating that it "made every reasonable effort" to redact personal information of the victims but warned that some information might be inadvertently disclosed.

Reuters reported that the website appeared to be under heavy traffic pressure, with some users reporting that their attempts to access the materials were denied.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the department will release hundreds of thousands of documents but will not release all files related to Epstein.

He mentioned that he expects hundreds of thousands of other documents to be released in the coming weeks as the department reviews them to protect victims' privacy.

Initially, Trump urged Republicans in Congress to oppose the new law, warning that releasing sensitive internal investigation records could set a dangerous precedent.

However, many of Trump's voters accused his administration of covering up Epstein's connections to powerful figures and obscuring details surrounding his 2019 death, which investigations concluded was a suicide in a Manhattan jail where he was awaiting trial on charges of trafficking and abusing underage girls.

Trump, who promised during his 2024 election campaign to declassify Epstein's government files if elected, is seeking to move past this issue so he can focus on a more pressing concern for Americans—the cost of living—ahead of the midterm congressional elections in November 2026.