President Donald Trump has officially signed legislation forcing the Justice Department to release files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It only took most of 2025 for Trump to finally give in to public outcry he once championed, but now it seems Americans will finally get the answers many folks — MAGA in particular — have been dying for.
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The Trump administration has spent months dodging questions about the files and often shifting blame to the Democrats, whom they claim are conspiring to use Epstein to take Trump down. Now that Congress has spoken, here is what Americans can expect to find once the files are released…and what they likely won’t
When Will Files Be Released?
As of right now, the DOJ has 30 days to release the unsealed files in full. Many Republicans have warned Attorney General Pam Bondi not to postpone the public release of records given the unwavering public demand. Still, others have spoken out against the files release arguing that it will ultimately cause more harm than good.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has been opposed to the files’ release. “There’s an easy way to amend the legislation to make sure that we don’t do permanent damage to the justice system,” Johnson said. “And I’m going to insist upon that.” Despite his opposition, the House of Representatives passed the Epstein files Act with a 427-1 vote.
Which Files Will Be Public?
The documents to be made public will come from the FBI’s and the Justice Department’s investigation into Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who is still serving a 20-year prison sentence connected to Epstein’s crimes, according to reports.
In accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, information on people, “including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory proceedings,” and “[e]ntities, (corporate, nonprofit, academic, or governmental) with known or alleged ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks” will be public.
The Justice Department was also directed to hand over immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea bargains and sealed settlements involving Epstein in addition to internal “DOJ communications, including emails, memos, meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge, investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his associates.”
“No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,” the act stated.
What Won’t Be in the Files?
It’s up to the DOJ to decide what’s confidential and shouldn’t be included in the public release. Whenever the Epstein documents are released, folks will likely find many names, dates and other classified information to be redacted.
Additionally, the Epstein Act allows Bondi and the DOJ to withhold certain records that “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary.” The bill, however, does not clarify how long “temporary” is considered.
There’s also no way for the public to ever know if every single Epstein file has been or will be uncovered, POLITICO reported.
What’s Taking So Long?
The House Oversight Committee first subpoenaed the Justice Department for the entirety of its Epstein files back in August. Then, Bondi told Congress they needed more time, but in the end, more than 33,000 pages were given to the panel.
It’s these documents that were released beginning in September. Most recently, 20,000 documents were made public. In them, President Trump is named and referenced by Epstein and his associates via email. Trump and the DOJ continue to tell the public the case into Epstein was completed in full. But now, it’ll be up to the public to make that choice for themselves… whenever the files are released.
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