US Justice Department releases 30,000 Epstein files The US Department of Justice has released a new archive of about 30,000 documents tied to the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing minors. "Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the #FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already," the agency wrote on X. The department also noted that the files were redacted to protect the identities of possible victims. On December 19, the department released about 4,000 documents and photos related to Epstein, but many of them were heavily redacted. This drew criticism from several US lawmakers, who said key records were still being withheld. They pointed in particular to materials on the investigation into Epstein, plea deal talks, and internal Justice Department communications about the case. #Epstein was detained by New York State law enforcement on July 6, 2019. The prosecutor’s office said there was evidence that in 2002-2005 he brought dozens of underage girls to his Manhattan home, the youngest of whom was 14. Epstein’s friends and acquaintances included a large number of current and retired officials not only from the United States, but from many other countries, including former heads of state, major entrepreneurs, and show business stars. Criminal proceedings against the financier in the United States were terminated after he took his own life in a prison cell in August 2019.