US lawmaker presses Justice Department on deadline to release Epstein files

US Rep. Thomas Massie on Monday said that the Justice Department (DOJ) is approaching a firm legal deadline to release files related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, citing a law signed last month by President Donald Trump.

"According to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Public Law 119-38, signed by President Donald Trump on November 19, the Attorney General must release to the public the Epstein files in possession of the DOJ and FBI by Friday, December 19," Massie said in a post on US social media company X.

Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released an additional 20,000 pages of documents received from Epstein. This latest production contains over 95,000 photos, including images of President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty in Florida federal court and was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution in 2008.

His victims have alleged he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was utilized by members of the wealthy and political elite.

Epstein's case has remained a politically charged issue in the US, with lawmakers and victims' advocates from across the spectrum demanding greater transparency about his network of associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein. Their past social and business ties, as well as Epstein's extensive links to political, business, and academic figures in the US and abroad, have fueled calls for the broad release of official records.