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Decoded: What are Epstein files and why is Trump admin not releasing them?
This comes at a time when Trump is facing criticism over his administration's role in the Epstein probe, which he has called a 'hoax'. Taking to social media platform Truth Social, he called it 'Jeffrey Epstein Hoax' and blamed the 'Lunatic Left' for misleading his supporters.
What is the Epstein case?
In 2006, Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was charged with sex offences after the parents of a 14-year-old girl informed the police that Epstein molested their daughter at his Florida home. A report by The New York Times mentions, Epstein paid teenage girls money to perform sexual acts, and also used his one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, to recruit and manage his stable of victims.
An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Florida police led to Epstein's indictment in the same year. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to two felony charges, which included soliciting a minor, under a plea deal that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution and much harsher prison time.
In 2019, he was arrested again by the federal agents in New York and was accused of trafficking girls, some as young as 14 years old, and engaging in sexual acts with them. According to an AFP report, prosecutors alleged that Epstein worked with associates and employees to ensure a 'steady supply of minor victims to abuse'.
Epstein denied the charges filed against him. On August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial in custody, he was found dead in his jail cell, having died by suicide.
Maxwell, Epstein's one-time girlfriend, is serving a 20-year prison sentence and was jailed in 2022 for helping him abuse girls. She revealed details of his connections with some prominent figures like Britain's Prince Andrew and former US president Bill Clinton. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
Conspiracy theories in the Epstein case
Media reports suggest that authorities are deliberately hiding details in the Epstein file case to protect rich and powerful people, including Trump. A central theory in the case involves the alleged existence of a client list naming individuals who may have committed offences in connection with Epstein. However, the Trump administration has maintained that no such list exists.
Citing an unsigned memo last week, The New York Times report states that the US Justice Department and the FBI said that the Epstein files did not contain the kind of evidence that would justify investigating other people. The video recordings of child sexual abuse material found by investigators were not, as some have suggested, videos that Epstein recorded of crimes by himself or his friends, but material he downloaded, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Donald Trump's role in the Epstein case
Media reports suggest that Trump and Epstein were friends for years; they saw each other frequently at high-society parties in Florida and New York. Trump was dragged into the controversy after his former ally, Elon Musk, accused him of being in the Epstein files.
In a 2002 interview with New York magazine, Trump spoke highly of Epstein and called him a friend whom he had known for 15 years. He added, 'It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.'
Trump has dismissed the controversy as 'sordid and uninteresting'; however, until Wednesday, the US President had not gone so far as to distance himself from some of his staunch supporters, who continue to demand more information related to the case.
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