US Justice Department releases new batch of redacted Epstein files

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Material marked with evidence tape inside the home of Jeffrey Epstein is shown in this image from the estate of late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, released by the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., U.S., on December 19, 2025. U.S. Justice Department/Handout via REUTERS

By Brad Heath

WASHINGTON  -  The U.S. Justice Department released a new trove of documents on Tuesday from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including CCTV videos and legal records.

The latest release comprises around 29,000 pages, with many redactions, and dozens of video clips, including several purporting to be shot inside a prison. Epstein was found dead in 2019 after an apparent suicide in a New York jail.

The latest material comes a few days after the Trump administration published a large cache of Epstein files in an attempt to comply with a new law forcing disclosure on the politically fraught topic.

However the releases on Friday and Saturday contained extensive redactions, angering some Republicans and doing little to defuse a scandal threatening the party ahead of 2026 midterm elections. 

On Monday, Trump downplayed the importance of the Epstein files. Speaking to reporters, he said the material was "just used to deflect against tremendous success" by him and his fellow Republicans.

The new transparency law, overwhelmingly passed by Congress last month, mandated the disclosure of all Epstein files, despite Trump's months-long effort to keep them sealed.

 (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Writing by Mark Bendeich, Editing by Alex Richardson // REUTERS)