Dec. 24 (UPI) — A million more files that might pertain to the former Jeffrey Epstein case have been found and will be released in weeks, federal officials announced on Wednesday.
Officials with the office of the U.S. attorney for Southern New York said they found more than a million more records and will review and redact those subject to the Epstein Files Transparency Act and release them.
“We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible,” the Justice Department said in a post on X.
“Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks,” the Justice Department said. “The department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President [Donald] Trump’s direction to release the files.”
The files were located in the Southern District of New York, which is based in New York City, and by the FBI, both of which forwarded them to the Justice Department for processing and eventual release as required by law.
The recently enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act required the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related files after reviewing them and redacting certain types of information, including the identities of victims, child abuse materials and others.
All files were to be released no later than Dec. 19, which is the date that the Justice Department released hundreds of thousands of files, some of which were completely redacted and blacked out.
The Justice Department posted them on its Epstein Library webpage, where all released documents are to be deposited and made available to the general public via a dedicated search engine.
Despite posting hundreds of thousands of files, the department earlier said hundreds of thousands more files also will be released after undergoing review and redactions.
Officials said they have a large team of attorneys reviewing each file and redacting information as required and will post all additional documents as soon as possible.
The new batch of more than a million files that might be related to the Epstein case will greatly complicate and slow that process.
Epstein was a financier and convicted sex offender who hung himself while jailed in Manhattan in 2019 amid federal charges accusing him of sex trafficking of minors and related offenses.
Former President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Citizens Medal to Liz Cheney during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on January 2, 2025. The Presidential Citizens Medal is bestowed to individuals who have performed exemplary deeds or services. Photo by Will Oliver/UPI | License Photo
Watch: Former US President Bill Clinton featured in new Epstein photos
The US justice department has released an initial tranche of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The documents, which include photos, videos and investigative documents, were highly anticipated after Congress passed a law mandating the files be released in their entirety by Friday. The Department of Justice (DOJ), however, acknowledged it would not be able to release all of the documents by the deadline.
A number of famous faces are included in the first batch of files – including former US President Bill Clinton, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.
Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those identified in the files or in previous releases related to Epstein have denied any wrongdoing.
Several hundred thousand pages still have not been released
Among the documents released on Friday are many that are redacted, including police statements, investigative reports and photos.
More than 100 pages in one file related to a grand jury investigation are entirely blacked out.
Officials, as outlined in the law, were allowed to redact materials to protect the identity of victims, or anything related to an active criminal investigation, but they were required by law to explain such redactions, which has not yet been done.
The thousands of pages released on Friday are only a share of what is to come, according to the justice department.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department was releasing “several hundred thousand pages” on Friday and that he expected “several hundred thousand more” to be released over the coming weeks.
He told Fox & Friends that the department was heavily vetting each page of material to ensure “every victim – their name, their identity, their story, to the extent that it needs to be protected – is completely protected”. That is a process, he argued, that takes time.
The timing of when additional materials will be released is unclear, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration.
Democrats including Congressman Ro Khanna have threatened action against members of the justice department, including impeachment or possible prosecution over the delay.
Khanna led with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, defying US President Donald Trump who at first urged his party to vote against the measure.
“The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law,” he said on social media, saying in a video that all options were on the table and being mulled over by him and Massie.
Bill Clinton pictured in pool and hot tub
US Department of Justice
Several of the images released include former US President Bill Clinton.
One picture shows him swimming in a pool, and another shows him lying on his back with his hands behind his head in what appears to be a hot tub.
Clinton was photographed with Epstein several times over the 1990s and early 2000s, before the disgraced financier was first arrested. He has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, and has denied knowledge of his sex offending.
A spokesperson for Clinton commented on the new photos, saying they were decades old.
“They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be,” Angel Ureña wrote on social media.
“There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that,” he continued.
“Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”
US Department of Justice
Epstein allegedly introduced Trump to 14-year-old girl
In the tranche of files released by the justice department are court documents that mention the US president.
The court documents detail that Epstein allegedly introduced a 14-year-old girl to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
During the alleged encounter in the 1990s, Epstein elbowed Trump and “playfully asked him”, in reference to the girl, “This is a good one, right?”, the document says.
Trump smiled and nodded in agreement, according to the lawsuit filed against Epstein’s estate and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2020.
The document says that “they both chuckled” and she felt uncomfortable, but “at the time, was too young to understand why”.
The victim alleges she was groomed and abused by Epstein over many years.
In the court filing she makes no accusations against Trump, and Epstein’s victims have not made any allegations against him.
The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.
The alleged episode is one of very few mentions of the president in the thousands of files released on Friday. He can be seen in several photos but his inclusion is minimal at best.
The Trump War Room, the official X account for the president’s political operation, instead was posting photographs of Clinton. Trump’s press secretary, too, re-posted images of Clinton, saying “Oh my!”
However, there are still pages to be released.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that “several hundred thousand” pages of documents are still being reviewed and have yet to be made public.
The US president has previously said he was a friend of Epstein’s for years, but said they fell out in about 2004, years before Epstein was first arrested. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Photo appears to show Andrew laying across laps
US Department of Justice
A photo in the released files appears to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor laying across five people, whose faces are redacted. Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is seen in the image standing behind them.
Andrew has faced years of scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein, who does not appear in the photo.
He has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and said he did not “see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction”.
Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Chris Tucker and Mick Jagger
US Department of Justice
Epstein poses with Michael Jackson
The newly released documents include the widest assortment of celebrities we’ve seen in an Epstein file release so far.
The former financer was known for having connections across entertainment, politics and business. Some images released by the DOJ show him with stars that include Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and Diana Ross.
It’s unclear where or when any of the photos were taken or in what context. It’s also unclear if Epstein was associated with all of these figures or whether he attended these events. Previously released photos from Epstein’s estate have included photos that he did not take from events where he was not in attendence.
In one of the newly released photos, Epstein is photographed with Michael Jackson. The pop idol is wearing a suit and Epstein is seen in a zip-up hoodie.
US Department of Justice
Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger is seen here posing with Clinton
Another image of Jackson shows him with former US President Bill Clinton and Diana Ross. They are posing together in a small area and multiple other faces are redacted from the image.
Another photo in the thousands of files shows Rolling Stones legend Jagger posing for a photo with Clinton and a woman whose face is redacted. They are all in cocktail attire.
Several photos include the actor Chris Tucker. One shows him posing and seated next to Clinton at a dining table. Another shows him on an airplane tarmac with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Epstein.
The BBC has contacted Jagger, Tucker and Ross for comment. Clinton has previously denied knowledge of Epstein’s sex offending and a spokesperson on Friday said they were decades-old photos.
“This isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be,” the spokesperson said.
US Department of Justice
Michael Jackson and Diana Ross are photographed with Clinton
US Department of Justice
Actor Chris Tucker seen posing with convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
Epstein threatened to burn down house, accuser says
One of the first people to report Epstein is included in the files. Maria Farmer, an artist who had been working for Epstein, told the FBI in a 1996 report that he had stolen personal photos she took of her 12-year-old and 16-year-old sisters.
She said in a complaint that she believed he sold the photos to potential buyers, and said he threatened to burn her house down if she told anyone about it. Her name is redacted in the files but Farmer confirmed the account was hers.
She notes in the report that Epstein had allegedly asked her to take pictures for him of young girls at swimming pools.
“Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down”, the report states.
Farmer said she feels vindicated after nearly 30 years.
LA28 announced the next step in its ticketing plan for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Monday as ticket registration will open on Jan. 14.
Fans can start registering for tickets on Jan. 14 at la28.org, and the registration will remain open until March 18. All who sign up will be entered into a random draw to receive a time slot to purchase tickets. While registering, fans will enter their zip codes, and those who live in the Los Angeles and Oklahoma City areas near venues will be eligible to access the first time slots reserved for locals.
“The goal there is to make sure that we’re getting tickets into the hands, not just the fans, but of the local fans,” said Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28’s senior vice president of Games delivery revenue. “Those that are going to be closest to the Games, really helping us host these Games in some ways.”
The 2028 Olympics will feature the largest Games schedule in history, with 36 sports and 11,198 athletes. The majority of the Games will be held in L.A., including major sports zones in downtown, Exposition Park and the Sepulveda Basin, but cities including Carson, Inglewood and Long Beach will also have multiple venues. Oklahoma City will host the softball and canoe slalom events at existing facilities.
LA28 is still finalizing the duration of each purchasing window, although the plan is to have multiple opportunities per day, so fans would be assigned time slots that are open for several hours. Tickets for a variety of events will be available during each drop in 2026, with single-event tickets beginning at $28. When tickets for the Paralympics go on sale in 2027, the system will be similar and fans will not have to re-register their interest.
While the Olympics will be back in L.A. for the third time in 2028, it will be the first time the city is hosting the Paralympics.
LA28 plans to release 14 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics. The total would be a Games record, eclipsing the 12 million sold in Paris, where ticket sales began almost a year after the timeline LA28 is currently using. The Paris Games that opened in July 2024 did not begin ticket registration until November 2022, 20 months before the event.
Fans will have two-and-a-half years to register and purchase tickets before L.A. opens the Olympics on July 14, 2028.
1 of 2 | Kilmar Abrego Garcia pictured in August before his check in at the ICE Field Office in Baltimore Md., Immigration Customs Enforcement officials sought to deport Abrego Garcia to Africa where he has no connection, despite his ongoing protection from removal to El Salvador. He was released Thursday from an ICE detention center after a federal judge’s ruling. File Photo by Shawn Thew/UPI
Dec. 11 (UPI) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a wrongfully deported Salvadoran immigrant, was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention Thursday following a federal judge’s order.
Garcia is facing U.S. charges by the Trump administration. His attorneys confirmed that he had been released by Thursday afternoon.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis said that the Trump administration lacked the legal authority to continue holding Abrego Garcia in an ICE detention facility.
“Because Abrego Garcia has been held in ICE detention to effectuate third-country removal absent a lawful removal order, his requested relief is proper,” according to U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis.
The judge mandated his “immediate” release.
“Separately, respondents’ conduct over the past months belie that his detention has been for the basic purpose of effectuating removal, lending further support that Abrego Garcia should be held no longer,” Xinis added.
The order cleared ICE to release Abrego Garcia, but he still must comply with pretrial conditions in an ongoing human smuggling case.
“This is naked judicial activism by an Obama-appointed judge,” a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson wrote on social media.
DHS claimed the order “lacks any valid legal basis and we will continue to fight this tooth and nail in the courts.”
Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran national who illegally entered the U.S. almost 15 years ago and drew nationwide attention after his wrongful March deportation to El Salvador’s notorious megaprison despite a protective order.
The administration labeled him an MS-13 gang member, which he has denied.
“The history of Abrego Garcia’s case is as well known as it is extraordinary,” said Xinis.
With a standing order that prevents deportation to El Salvador, Trump administration officials pivoted to proposing an African destination.
“This evidently remained an inconvenient truth for respondents,” Xinis wrote.
“But more to the point, respondents’ persistent refusal to acknowledge Costa Rica as a viable removal option, their threats to send Abrego Garcia to African countries that never agreed to take him, and their misrepresentation to the court that Liberia is now the only country available to Abrego Garcia, all reflect that whatever purpose was behind his detention, it was not for the ‘basic purpose’ of timely third-country removal,” the judge wrote.
President Donald Trump makes remarks during a roundtable meeting with high-tech business executives in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday. The president announced that the United States has seized an oil tanker near Venezuela and a revealed a new special corporate immigration gold card focused on keeping students in the United States. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
