US House Democrats release more photos from Epstein's estate

On the eve of the US Justice Department's deadline to release records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Thursday made public an additional set of photographs submitted by the late financier's estate. The collection of roughly 70 images includes heavily redacted photographs of women's passports, as well as pictures of prominent men who were part of Epstein's social circle. 'Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people,' Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement. The newly released images are part of a larger production of roughly 95,000 photos provided to the committee last week in response to congressional subpoenas. Oversight Democrats said the additional photos were selected to give the public a representative sample of the material received and to shed light on Epstein's network and what Garcia described as his 'extremely disturbing activities.' 'As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession. We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now,' Garcia said. Under to the Epstein Transparency Act, which Trump signed into law on Nov. 19, Attorney General Pam Bondi is required to make public Epstein-related files in possession of the Justice Department and the FBI by Friday. Last week, the committee 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 British mogul 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, but critics call the relatively minor conviction a 'sweetheart deal.' His victims have alleged he operated a sprawling sex trafficking network that was used 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.