August M
Washington is preparing for a new phase in the long-running Jeffrey Epstein scandal
The US Congress approved legislation requiring the Justice Department to release extensive records connected to the Epstein case.
Releasing such large volumes of case files carries broad political implications: it touches on a scandal long linked to high-profile names, has sparked years of partisan accusations, and has fuelled public distrust in elite networks.
The disclosure requirement also comes at a moment when both major parties are accusing each other of selective outrage, making the timing especially sensitive.
Shifting political pressure
Last week President Donald Trump publicly urged the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate several Democratic politicians’ past associations with Epstein — naming former President Bill Clinton as the most prominent figure.
Because the bill’s exemption protects documents tied to ongoing inquiries, Trump’s call for new investigations could delay the release of any Clinton-related files notes Danish DR News.
Both Clinton and Trump have been linked socially to Epstein through travel logs and public appearances, but as the reporting notes, there is no evidence that either man participated in Epstein’s criminal activities.
Past flights and documented interactions
One of the clearest pieces of evidence concerning Clinton’s ties comes from flight logs released during earlier civil litigation involving Epstein.
DR News reports that court filings show Clinton joined several multi-stop overseas trips aboard Epstein’s jet in the early 2000s, appearing on flight manifests more than two dozen times.
Ghislaine Maxwell — now serving a 20-year sentence — appeared on each flight manifest.
Maxwell later claimed in an interview that Clinton “was my friend, not Epstein’s,” assertions documented in a Justice Department transcript released after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche questioned her in Florida.
Allegations about Little St. James
Clinton has repeatedly denied ever visiting Little St. James, including in a 2019 public statement.
Epstein made the same claim in a 2011 email — one of many documents released by the House Oversight Committee last week.
Virginia Giuffre told the Mail on Sunday in 2011 that she had once seen Clinton on the island, though she emphasised she never saw him act inappropriately.
Quick summary
- The Justice Department generally avoids releasing material that could compromise an investigation.
- High-profile political cases often involve lengthy negotiations over what can legally be made public.
- Both parties are likely to frame any release or delay as politically motivated, a common pattern in modern congressional oversight disputes.
In short, the bill forces transparency on a case defined by secrecy — but the exceptions built into the law ensure that the most sensitive material may remain out of view for the foreseeable future.
Sources: DR News, Mail, US Justice Department
