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By Barney Henderson
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The Deputy U.S. Attorney General said Sunday that the Justice Department's review of the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case "is over."
Todd Blanche said, following the release of more than 3 million pages of documents, more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images Friday, that the existence of "horrible photographs" and troubling email correspondence does not "allow us necessarily to prosecute somebody."
However, both the fallout from the release and, crucially, what remains unreleased, shows no sign of abating for those connected to Epstein, including Britain's former Prince Andrew, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, disgraced politician Peter Mandelson, Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, former President Bill Clinton and, most notably, President Donald Trump.
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Democrats and Epstein survivors immediately accused the department of withholding records and breaking the law by doing so. Survivors were also upset some of their names had inadvertently come out without redactions.
The DOJ has itself identified over 6 million pages of Epstein documents, Democratic members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee pointed out over the weekend, but "released only about half of them—including over 200,000 pages that DOJ redacted or withheld."
So what's missing from the documents and is the worst yet to come for Trump, as the ghost of Epstein continues to haunt his old friends?
Messy—and Controversial—Release of Epstein Files
More than three million pages related to Epstein have now been released, with many high-profile figures featured in the documents.
Epstein-related documents have been released over the past year through multiple legal and procedural channels, not via a single investigation or disclosure. Here are the key releases—so far:
- In February 2025, the Justice Department released the first batch of declassified documents related to Epstein, including flight logs and his contact book. Officials said the release was part of a broader transparency effort, though the files contained little new information beyond what had already circulated publicly.
- In July, a memo from the Justice Department and FBI included video files from outside Epstein’s prison cell the night he died by suicide at Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019. The DOJ and FBI published a joint statement which concluded: "Epstein died by suicide." They said he had "no incriminating 'client list'," and released the 11-hour prison video. The release of the video led to claims of a cover-up, notably among steadfast Trump loyalists, because of an apparent "missing minute" of CCTV footage.
- In September, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a sexually suggestive letter to Epstein purportedly signed by Trump. The President denied ever writing such a message.
- On November 12, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee published Epstein emails that mentioned Trump. The committee had subpoenaed Epstein's estate as part of its own probe into the Epstein investigation. One of the emails, from Epstein to the author Michael Wolff, suggested Trump "knew about the girls." The White House accused Democrats of a smear campaign and a "fake narrative."
- On November 19, in a rare display of bipartisan unity, the House of Representatives voted 427-1 in favor of releasing the files. The Senate quickly followed with unanimous consent and Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. On December 19, 2025, the DoJ released hundreds of thousands of documents. Many of those early releases were heavily redacted and drew criticism for obscuring key information.
- On January 30, 2026, the DoJ released over 3 million pages, including documents, correspondence, videos and images, saying this fulfilled its legal obligation under the Transparency Act. Others strongly disagreed.
Accusations of Trump Cover-Up
Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, accused Attorney General Pam Bondi and the DoJ of breaking the law.
In a statement he said: "Donald Trump and his Department of Justice have now made it clear that they intend to withhold roughly 50% of the Epstein files, while claiming to have fully complied with the law. This is outrageous and incredibly concerning.
"The Oversight Committee subpoena directs Pam Bondi to release all the files to the committee, while protecting survivors. They are in violation of the law.
"We are demanding the names of Epstein’s co-conspirators and the men and pedophiles who abused women and girls."
There is no evidence that Trump orchestrated a cover-up. However, the absence of definitive answers—combined with selective document releases—has meant firm suspicions persist.
Survivors Named in Latest Release
Epstein survivors and family members of Virginia Giuffre said the release was "outrageous."
The group said in a statement: "This latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files is being sold as transparency, but what it actually does is expose survivors. Once again, survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected. That is outrageous.
"As survivors, we should never be the ones named, scrutinized, and retraumatized while Epstein’s enablers continue to benefit from secrecy. This is a betrayal of the very people this process is supposed to serve."
Women's rights lawyer Gloria Allred told the BBC that Epstein survivors were "devastated" by the release of their names or identities in the latest document drop. She described Friday's release as an "absolute mess."
"In some cases they have a line through the names but you can still read the names," she said.
"In other cases, they've shown photos of victims—survivors who have never done a public interview, never given their name publicly."
How MAGA Turned on Trump Over Epstein
Some of the most vocal backlash against Trump over Epstein has come from within the MAGA movement itself.
For years, Epstein conspiracies flourished within MAGA, framed as proof that elites, Democrats and institutions protected abusers.
But as the Epstein impact mushroomed, and Trump’s past social ties to him attracted greater scrutiny, that logic boomeranged.
Influencers such as Alex Jones and Laura Loomer have openly accused the Trump administration of failing to deliver transparency with regards to the Epstein documents.
Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the December release of files, describing the redaction of "politically exposed individuals and government officials" as "NOT MAGA."
Tucker Carlson has repeatedly questioned why the full story remains unresolved, framing Epstein as evidence of elite protection that cuts across parties.
Trump Says He Is Now Absolved
During his 2024 campaign Trump pledged to release the Epstein files and has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to his past association with Epstein. However, after his reelection he began calling the renewed scrutiny on the files a "Democrat hoax" and suggested the controversy was irrelevant or politically motivated.
Following the huge drop of files on Friday, Trump said the latest document release "absolve(s) me."
"I didn't see it myself but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left," he said.
Will More Documents Be Released?
Friday's huge document drop will not be the end of the Epstein scandal and, despite his claims otherwise, does not "absolve" Trump.
The DOJ has not set a final timeline for all records being released and continues to process additional materials. Lawmakers and advocates will ensure the heat remains on the department to do so.
The political risk for Trump will almost certainly persist. Any future disclosures that reference him—or shed new light on his interactions with Epstein or Epstein’s associates—could be damaging, regardless of whether they reveal criminal wrongdoing. Likewise, not releasing the remaining files or heavily redacting information within them could also harm the President.
It is likely the ghost of Epstein will remain tethered to Trump’s political fortunes for the foreseeable.
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