Democrats have voiced their discontent over President Donald Trump's Department of Justice’s release of Jeffrey Epstein files, claiming that the majority of the documents were already accessible to the public.
Democrats Say 97% Files Contain No New Information
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee revealed that 97% of the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice were already public. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., stated the “overwhelming majority” of the 33,295 pages contained no new information, according to a Forbes report.
Garcia’s office informed Forbes that many documents were previously released by the Department of Justice, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, or the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office.
What These Documents Include
The documents released include the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General Report on Epstein's death, a memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi to FBI Director Kash Patel, and a video of Epstein's jail cell on the night of his death.
The new documents included in the release were records from Customs and Border Protection detailing Epstein's private jet location from 2000 to 2014, totaling less than 1,000 pages, according to Garcia’s office.
Full Review Necessary, Says Garcia
Garcia expressed on X that much of the material was already public, but a full review is necessary. He criticized the Justice Department for releasing Ghislaine Maxwell’s testimony, stating she is “desperately seeking a pardon” and cannot be trusted.
The release follows the Trump administration’s review of Epstein documents, with most files previously available through court filings or media leaks. Lawmakers subpoenaed the files in August, while efforts to unseal grand jury documents remain unsuccessful.
The controversy surrounding the release of the Epstein files has been ongoing. In a 2024 interview, President Trump expressed reluctance to release the files, citing concerns about potential misinformation.
Despite this, Trump later directed Pam Bondi to release more documents, contingent on court approval.
Furthermore, Trump’s name was reportedly found in the files, though it did not imply wrongdoing.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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