Washington will declassify the Epstein files within 30 days, the Attorney General of the United States announces
Pam Bondi, Attorney General of the United States, pictured at the swearing-in ceremony, PHOTO: Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The US Department of Justice will release documents from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein within the next 30 days, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Wednesday, after Congress voted almost unanimously to compel President Donald Trump's administration to make them public, Reuters notes.
The material could shed more light on Epstein's activities. The scandal has been a constant issue for Trump in recent months, including as he himself has fueled conspiracy theories about Epstein among his supporters.
Critics say his administration covered up Epstein's connections to influential people and glossed over details of his death, ruled a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he faced federal sex-trafficking charges.
At a press conference, Bondi confirmed that the Justice Department would release the materials related to Epstein within 30 days under legislation passed Tuesday by the Republican-controlled House and Senate.
“We will continue to uphold the law and encourage maximum transparency,” she said.
The release may not be complete, however, as the agency may have to withhold certain information that could affect Trump-ordered investigations into Democratic figures associated with Epstein.
The department will also protect the identity of any sex trafficking victims whose names appear in the documents, Bondi said.
The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives voted Tuesday to require the release of Justice Department files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The measure was adopted with 427 votes for and one against
