More than 3.5 million documents related the Jeffrey Epstein case were released today by the Justice Department, representing only about half of the total documents originally identified for review.
The release comes about a month after a deadline to release the documents as established in the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed, the Associated Press reported. Although the release represents about half of the 6 million records that were identified for review, officials said the 6 million figure included duplicates.
The release also includes 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The release follows the initial release of several thousand documents in December.
"Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday.
Epstein, a disgraced financier who had ties to prominent individuals, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein's primary accomplice and former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year-sentence, the AP reported.
The 2019 indictment alleged that Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. The government alleged that Epstein worked with several employees and associates to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims.
There has been rampant speculation around the Epstein case that he also procured girls for other individuals. However, in July of last year the Justice Department stated that Epstein did not have a "client list" and that there was no doubt that he had killed himself in his cell.
During Trump's campaign for president, he promised to "declassify" the Epstein files if he were elected, NBC News reported. However, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's July statement caused backlash amongst Trumps supporters. Also, much of the material she released had already been public.
On August 5, the House Oversight Committee issued a subpoena for the records and the administration agreed to do so, rather than challenge the subpoena. Regardless, the release of documents and related to the case came slowly. Facing public pressure, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19, NBC News reported.
Despite the act setting a 30-day deadline for the release of all of the documents, the Justice Department only released some of the material and continued to review millions of documents and thousands of videos and images, NBC News reported.
