U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a bill that requires his administration to release documents concerning convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Initially facing resistance, Trump yielded to political pressure from his own party. The bill mandates the U.S. Justice Department to disclose all files and communications related to Epstein, including details about the investigation into his death in 2019, within 30 days. While redactions are permitted to protect Epstein’s victims during ongoing federal probes, the department cannot withhold information due to concerns of embarrassment or political sensitivity.
The move marks a significant shift following efforts by a coalition of Democrats, a Republican critic of the president, and some former Trump supporters to push for the release of the files. Last week, the Trump administration even held discussions with Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican advocate for releasing the files, although no change in stance was reported.
President Trump’s decision to sign the bill came as congressional action appeared inevitable, with Trump deeming the Epstein issue a distraction to his agenda and expressing a desire to move past it. The House of Representatives passed the bill with a 427-1 vote, with Republican Rep. Clay Higgins dissenting over concerns that innocent individuals mentioned in the investigation could be implicated. The Senate subsequently approved the bill unanimously without a formal vote.
Despite Trump’s past association with Epstein, he has maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities and had severed ties with him. Prior to Trump’s potential second term, some of his allies propagated conspiracy theories alleging a government cover-up of potentially damaging information in the Epstein case files.