The Department of Justice on Dec. 19 released a partial set of files from its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, with more records promised in the weeks ahead. Reuters’ initial review found relatively few direct mentions or photos of Donald Trump but multiple images and references to Bill Clinton. DOJ officials said the records identified more than 1,200 victims and relatives and included a redacted list of 254 masseuses, plus FBI files from 2006 and 2018 and documents tied to the 2019 death inquiry.
DoJ Releases New Epstein Files: Few Mentions Of Trump, Multiple Clinton Images, Over 1,200 Victims Identified
Late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is seen in this image from the U.S. Justice Department’s file of Epstein, released by the House Oversight Committee Democrats Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 18, 2025. House Oversight Committee Democrats/Handout via REUTERS
WASHINGTON — On Dec. 19 the U.S. Department of Justice released a substantial but partial set of documents from its investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex offenses. The disclosure — part of a rolling release the department says will continue over the next two weeks — has renewed political scrutiny and public interest in Epstein's ties to prominent figures and the scope of his crimes.
Not Much Trump
A key question before the release was how prominently former President Donald Trump would appear. Trump and Epstein socialized in the 1990s and early 2000s; Trump says they had a falling out in the mid-2000s. Reuters' initial review of the released cache found relatively few direct references to Trump. Items identified included a single photograph of Epstein holding what appeared to be a check bearing Trump’s name and an image of a 1997 copy of Trump’s book tucked on a bookshelf in Epstein’s Manhattan home. Trump’s name also appears on flight manifests and in an Epstein contact book previously disclosed during related prosecutions.
Substantial Clinton Presence
The files contain multiple images and references to former President Bill Clinton. Several photos show Clinton in a swimming pool with Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified person; others depict him in a hot tub, and one image shows a young woman's face redacted as she sits near him. Another item is a painting of Clinton in a blue dress that hung in Epstein’s New York residence. The publication of these images has drawn political attention and questions about the Justice Department’s handling of material tied to ongoing inquiries.
Victims, Masseuses And FBI Documents
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress the department identified more than 1,200 victims and relatives during an exhaustive review of the records. Among the released materials was a list of 254 masseuses; all names on that list were redacted. The release also includes FBI files from investigations in 2006 and 2018 and documents related to the inquiry into Epstein’s 2019 death.
What comes next: The Justice Department says additional documents will be published in the coming weeks. Observers and lawmakers are likely to continue reviewing the records and pressing for further transparency.
(Reporting originally by Tim Reid; edited for clarity and flow.)
