Washington: In a major development that could reshape one of the world’s most controversial criminal scandals, US President Donald Trump has signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, directing the Department of Justice to publicly release all documents related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The move ends months of resistance from the White House and comes after rising pressure from Epstein’s victims, lawmakers and civil rights groups in the United States.
The new law requires the Justice Department to publish, within 30 days, all records, communications and investigative files on Epstein — including material related to his death in a New York federal prison in 2019 — in a “searchable and downloadable” public database. The only permitted redactions concern victim identities or details tied to ongoing federal investigations; disclosures cannot be withheld on grounds of political sensitivity or reputational harm.
“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a lengthy message on the Truth Social platform. “As everyone knows, I asked Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, to pass this Bill in the House and Senate, respectively. Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage,” he wrote.
“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I have just signed the bill to release the Epstein files,” he added. He also claimed that Democrats had “used the Epstein issue” to divert attention from his administration’s work.
The Bill earlier cleared the US House of Representatives by a rare near-unanimous vote of 427–1 and passed the Senate without opposition — signalling an unusual moment of bipartisan agreement in Washington. Several leaders, however, cautioned the White House against using procedural delays or excessive redactions to block the release of sensitive information. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the administration must carry out the law “faithfully,” warning against “funny business” in withholding files the public has a right to see.
According to a report by Fox News, the demand for public disclosure intensified after Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released three emails from Epstein’s estate that referenced Trump. In response, Republicans made public nearly 20,000 pages of Epstein-related documents on the same day.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with widespread social connections, was accused of trafficking underage girls and exploiting his influence to shield himself from accountability. His arrest in 2019 and subsequent death — officially ruled a suicide — intensified speculation that crucial elements of the case had been obscured or ignored.
With the new law now in effect, families of victims and observers around the world are looking to see whether the forthcoming disclosures bring long-awaited transparency — or deepen questions about one of the most troubling scandals in recent memory.
