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By Gabe Whisnant
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Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly released flight logs and other government documents related to Jeffrey Epstein on Thursday, though the files didn't reveal new major revelations about the sex trafficking case that has captivated conspiracy theorists.
The first batch of documents — posted online Thursday night by the Justice Department — primarily consists of files that have already circulated in public records since Epstein's death in 2019. Despite high expectations from online sleuths and media observers, the documents released on Thursday didn't offer fresh details about Epstein's crimes or his connections to powerful figures.
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Epstein Files Released Thursday by Justice Department
The small batch of released documents on Thursday included copies of Epstein's flight logs, which have already been made public through multiple court cases, and a heavily redacted photocopy of an address book allegedly compiled by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend and his associate, which has been referenced in media reports for years.
The Justice Department also released a blacked-out list of masseuses and an evidence list containing over 150 items, including nude images, massage tables, and sex toys. However, there was no clear indication whether the list was related to Epstein's case, Maxwell's case, or another investigation.
Why It Matters
Bondi has been urged by Republican lawmakers to disclose information about Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender who mingled with some of the world's most influential figures.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking and died by suicide in a New York federal jail a month later while awaiting trial. Maxwell was sentenced in 2022 for aiding Epstein in the trafficking of minors and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
President Donald Trump campaigned on releasing the "Epstein list," a rumored document that some people believe may link high-profile individuals to sex crimes.
The case has drawn intense global scrutiny due to Epstein's ties to high-profile figures such as Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, along with a host of celebrities. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for trafficking young girls to Epstein and other powerful men.
Over the years, thousands of pages of documents related to Epstein have been released through lawsuits, criminal cases, and public records requests. In January 2024, a court unsealed a trove of evidence collected in a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, though much of it had already been publicly known.
Previously released records referenced Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew, and magician David Copperfield, among others. A deposition from 2016 described an accuser spending time with Epstein at Trump's Atlantic City casino, though she did not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing. Trump has previously said that he once considered Epstein a "terrific guy" but later distanced himself from him.
In 2023, the Associated Press obtained thousands of pages of records detailing Epstein's final days at the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. These included emails between jail officials, psychological evaluations and internal memos.
A later report by the Justice Department's Inspector General found that "negligence, misconduct, and job performance failures" at the Federal Bureau of Prisons allowed Epstein to take his own life in August 2019. The report found no evidence of foul play, dismissing widespread conspiracy theories surrounding his death.
Conservatives, Liberals React to DOJ Release
Before the documents' official release, binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Part I" were distributed at the White House to conservative political commentators with large audiences on X (formerly Twitter). The binders, marked "declassified", referred to Trump's administration as "the most transparent", though it remains unclear if the files were ever classified.
Conservative political commentator Rogan O'Handley, also known as DC Draino, social media content creator Chaya Raichik (LibsofTiktok) and conservative political commentator Liz Wheeler were among those who received the binders.
Bondi, in a Thursday letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, suggested that more records had recently been discovered and ordered the FBI to hand over "the full and complete Epstein files" by Friday morning. She also instructed Patel to investigate why her previous order to release all records had not been fully carried out.
Epstein was accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls in the early 2000s. He was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in New York in 2019, more than a decade after striking a secret deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to resolve similar charges.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who has been urging the DOJ to release classified records on Epstein, blasted the department after learning that not all documents would be made public on Thursday. Luna chairs the House Oversight Committee's Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets.
"I nor the task force were given or reviewed the Epstein documents being released today... A NY Post story just revealed that the documents will simply be Epstein's phonebook," Luna wrote in a post on X. "THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment. GET US THE INFORMATION WE ASKED FOR!"
Conservative activist Laura Loomer posted on X, "Today I am in agreement with @RonFilipkowski. When the left and right come together to call something out, it's time for some serious reflection."
Filipkowski, a vocal Trump critic and editor-in-chief at the Meidas Touch, had posted, "What a joke. So the big reveal on the Epstein Files is that SOME of them were given to a group of right-wing social media operatives? They turn everything into a clown show"
Loomer also posted,"So basically the Epstein files weren't released today. The American people were lied to about a 'Day 1 Release' so they had to have an emergency gathering of paid social media influencers at the White House to convince the right that a promise made was kept."
Loomer also alleged on X, "there are NO Epstein files" and the right-wing influencers given "The Epstein Files: Part I" binders "lied to all of you today" and "engaged in deception to run cover for pedophiles."
Brian Krassenstein, an anti-Trump social media influencer, wrote on X, "Chaya Raichik from LibsofTiktok is grinning ear to ear, gleefully flaunting her useless Epstein binder, packed with information that's mostly already public, while 250 real victims are still fighting for actual answers.
He continued, "The level of tone-deafness here is off the charts. Imagine treating a case of child sex trafficking like a cheap prop for social media clout while the people who actually suffered are left in the dark. It's performative, it's grotesque, and it's exactly the kind of distraction they want."
Pam Bondi and Kash Patel statements
Bondi said in a statement Thursday night: "This Department of Justice is following through on President Trump's commitment to transparency and lifting the veil on the disgusting actions of Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators. The first phase of files released today sheds light on Epstein's extensive network and begins to provide the public with long overdue accountability."
Patel said in a statement Thursday night: "The FBI is entering a new era—one that will be defined by integrity, accountability, and the unwavering pursuit of justice. There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned — and anyone from the prior or current Bureau who undermines this will be swiftly pursued. If there are gaps, we will find them. If records have been hidden, we will uncover them. And we will bring everything we find to the DOJ to be fully assessed and transparently disseminated to the American people as it should be. The oath we take is to the Constitution, and under my leadership, that promise will be upheld without compromise."
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this article.
This is a developing news article and will be updated as more information is available.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:05 p.m.: This article has been updated with a link to Thursday night's DOJ release.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:17 p.m.: This headline and article has been updated to reflect the release of DOJ documents.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:17 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:28 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:38 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update: 2/27/25, 7:58 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information.
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