By Hannah Parry
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Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have just released a new batch of images from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
The 68 newly released images include photos of several influential people including acclaimed linguist Noam Chomksy, former White House Chief Strategist under President Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. They also feature a picture of a woman with quotes from the controversial book Lolita scribbled across her body.
It comes just one day before the deadline for President Donald Trump's Justice Department to release the full Epstein files.
What To Know
- The newly released photos are among more than 95,000 that the House Oversight Committee received after issuing a subpoena to the Epstein estate.
- House Democrats have already released dozens of photos from Epstein's estate showing Trump, Bill Clinton and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who lost his royal title and privileges this year amid scrutiny of his relationship with the wealthy financier.
- The images released Thursday include Chomsky and Epstein on a private jet, Epstein cooking with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman, and the convicted sex offender with Bannon.
- They also show billionaire Gates with a woman whose face has been redacted, and images of a 2011 dinner of high profile individuals and wealthy philanthropists hosted by a nonprofit group. There is no indication of any wrongdoing by the men in the images.
- The images also showed passports, visas and identification cards from Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, South Africa and Lithuania with personal information redacted, and photos of Epstein with women or girls whose faces were blacked out.
- Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while facing sex‑trafficking charges, had ties to Trump and other prominent figures.
- Congress has also passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release its case files on Epstein by Friday.
- The highly anticipated release of the files could shed new light on Epstein’s network and the circumstances surrounding his death.
Newsweek's live blog is closed.
Dec 18, 2025 at 07:08 PM EST
‘Lolita’ quotes seen written on a woman in Epstein images: Why was the book so controversial?
Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita was highly controversial because it focus on the theme of child sexual abuse, and tells the story from the perspective of the man committing it. Published in 1955, the novel follows Humbert Humbert, a middle-aged narrator who becomes fixated on a 12-year-old girl. Its subject matter led to early bans and fierce criticism, and it continues to provoke discomfort and debate decades later.
A major source of controversy lies in the book’s voice and style. Nabokov wrote the novel in elaborate, witty, and often seductive prose, allowing Humbert to narrate his own actions and attempt to justify them. Supporters argue this technique exposes the psychology of manipulation and self-deception used by abusers. Critics counter that the beauty of the language risks softening or obscuring the brutality of the harm being described.
The novel’s cultural afterlife has further complicated its reputation. Despite Nabokov’s insistence that Lolita is a tragedy about abuse, the term “Lolita” has come to signify a sexualized young girl in popular culture. Scholars and critics say this shift reflects widespread misreadings of the book, reinforced by film adaptations, marketing, and cover art that have sometimes emphasized erotic imagery rather than the victim’s suffering.
Dec 18, 2025 at 06:42 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Christmas Day 2008 inmate request form with handwritten note that reads ‘I love you’ among images
Dec 18, 2025 at 06:10 PM EST
WATCH: Pam Bondi says ‘new information’ triggered new Epstein investigation
Dec 18, 2025 at 05:40 PM EST
IN PICTURES: New photos show multiple images of passports and IDs from across the world
Dec 18, 2025 at 05:25 PM EST
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem seen cooking with Epstein in new photos
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, an Emirati businessman, was seen cooking with Jeffrey Epstein in the latest tranche of images, released by House Democrats on Thursday.
The pair are dressed casually in T-shirts, in a kitchen, with Sulayem mixing something as Epstein watches on.
Sulayem is a global trade leader, serving as Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, one of the world’s largest port operators, and as Chairman of the UAE’s Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation. There are no reliable reports on his net worth, although several sources say he is a billionaire.
Dec 18, 2025 at 05:10 PM EST
Republican warns of potential ‘criminal implications’ for Trump admin over Epstein files release
Republican Thomas Massie, who has repeatedly clashed with President Donald Trump's administration, warned on Friday that the government could face "criminal implications" if it ignored a Congressional subpoena.
"Well, I mean its a crime if they don't," he told a reporter. "It's not like they're in contempt of Congress because they didn't respond to a subpoena. This is a new law. You know, criminal implications if they don't follow it."
Dec 18, 2025 at 04:42 PM EST
Republican lawmaker explains today’s statutory files release
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has said that President Donald Trump's Justice Department had to produce the Jeffrey Epstein files by today's deadline - or they'd be breaking the law.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, a congressional bill signed into law last month, requires the Department of Justice to release its files, with some exceptions, which includes redaction of the victims' names and identifications.
In a video, posted on X on Thursday, Massie discussed the bipartisan struggle to get the files released, and the consequences if the Trump administration don't do that on Friday.
Dec 18, 2025 at 04:30 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Bill Gates seen accompanied by women whose faces have been blacked out in multiple images
Dec 18, 2025 at 04:14 PM EST
Democrat says photos show people ‘engaged in sexual acts’
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat member on the House Oversight Committee, said last week that some of the 95,000 images received from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein show people "engaged in sexual acts."
Subramanyam told CNN that there were "a lot of people involved in some of these acts" but he said it was too soon to be able to say who is who.
Dec 18, 2025 at 03:57 PM EST
Where was Epstein island located?
Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, Little Saint James, was situated in the U.S. Virgin Islands, a short distance southeast of St. Thomas in the Caribbean Sea.
The 70-acre island, long shielded from public view by tight security and limited access, became widely known after federal investigations detailed how Epstein used the secluded property while facing allegations of sex trafficking.
He later purchased a second nearby island, Great Saint James, but it was Little Saint James—sometimes referred to as “Epstein Island”—that figured most prominently in the public scrutiny surrounding his activities.
Dec 18, 2025 at 03:46 PM EST
How did Jeffrey Epstein die?
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on August 10, 2019, inside his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where he was being held on federal sex-trafficking charges. Epstein, a wealthy financier with powerful political and social connections, had been arrested weeks earlier and was awaiting trial that threatened to expose a wide network of alleged accomplices.
The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging. Authorities said he was discovered unresponsive in the early morning hours and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The ruling followed an autopsy and has remained the official determination.
Almost immediately, the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death drew intense scrutiny. Despite earlier concerns about his mental state, Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time. He was housed alone after his cellmate was transferred, and guards failed to conduct required checks during the night. The guards were later charged with falsifying their records to look like they had carried out those checks.
Questions deepened when it was revealed that surveillance cameras outside Epstein’s cell malfunctioned that night, leaving no video evidence of his final hours. A Justice Department investigation later concluded that chronic staffing shortages and operational failures at the jail contributed to a breakdown in basic safety procedures.
While some medical experts cited Epstein’s neck injuries as unusual, the medical examiner maintained they were consistent with suicide, particularly in older individuals. No evidence of homicide was found, and no alternative cause of death has been supported by official investigations.
Epstein’s death continues to fuel public suspicion, largely because of the extraordinary lapses at the jail and the high-profile nature of his case.
Dec 18, 2025 at 03:26 PM EST
How did Jeffrey Epstein make his money
Epstein began working at investment bank Bear Stearns as a junior assistant to a floor trader in 1976. He later became an options trader and adviser to some of the bank's wealthiest clients.
Epstein became a limited partner in 1980 but was asked to leave the company a year later. He founded a consulting firm called Intercontinental Assets Group Inc. (IAG) and a financial management firm called J. Epstein & Company.
He also worked as a consultant for the collection agency Towers Financial Corporation.
Epstein also invested in hedge funds and owned property in New York, Florida, New Mexico, France and the Virgin Islands.
Dec 18, 2025 at 03:12 PM EST
What was Jeffrey Epstein’s net worth at the peak of his career?
Jeffrey Epstein's net worth stood at over half a billion dollars before his death, according to court documents.
Lawyers for Epstein disclosed information about his financial standing during his 2019 criminal proceedings.
The 2019 financial disclosure, filed by Epstein's lawyers, showed his total assets were $559,120,954. His total cash was listed as $56,547,773. His fixed income was $14,304,679, and his equities $112,679,138. He had $194,986,301 in hedge funds and private equity.
He also owned multiple multimillion-dollar properties.
Dec 18, 2025 at 03:00 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Epstein seen accompanied by multiple women
Dec 18, 2025 at 02:45 PM EST
Poll finds Americans skeptical of Trump’s handling of Epstein scandal
Most Americans are skeptical of President Donald Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, though his standing on the issue has improved among Republicans, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey found that 52% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s response, while 23% approve, with many saying they believe his administration is covering up information about Epstein’s 2019 death and his ties to wealthy and powerful figures.
The poll showed growing doubts about the government’s transparency, including among Republicans. About 62% of respondents, including 56% of Republicans, said they believe the government is hiding information about Epstein’s death, which was ruled a suicide while he awaited trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Seventy percent said the government is concealing information about others who may have been involved in Epstein’s alleged abuse of teenage girls, including 62% of Republicans.
Trump’s support among Republicans on the issue has increased, with 53% approving of his handling of the scandal, up from 44% last month, though that remains far below his overall approval rating within the party. Only 18% of Americans said they believed Trump was unaware of Epstein’s alleged crimes before they became public, a view shared by 34% of Republicans. Trump has said he did not know about Epstein’s activities and that he ended their friendship years before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges involving a minor.
Dec 18, 2025 at 02:32 PM EST
WATCH: Hakeem Jeffries says Trump’s DOJ must comply with Epstein file release
Dec 18, 2025 at 02:21 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Site plans for Epstein’s private island among images
Site plans for Jeffrey Epstein's private island in the Caribbean appear to have been included in the newly released images.
The plans for Great St. James, which Epstein bought for $22.5 million in 2016, show plans for build multiple homes, offices and a pool.
The 161-acre island is Epstein's second private island, after he bought Little St James, the location that became known as the notorious "Epstein Island" in 1998.
The site plan has handwritten notes on it listing other structures such as the pool and office.
Other images included in today's release sow construction drawings for structures such as dock shelters.
Dec 18, 2025 at 02:08 PM EST
Democrats say new images show ‘concerning text messages about recruiting women for Jeffrey Epstein’
House Oversight Committee Democrats have said they released the new batch of 68 images from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein to "provide insights into Epstein’s network and his extremely disturbing activities."
In a statement, shared on the Democrat's Oversight panel website, they said that the new images show "passports of women whom Jeffrey Epstein and his conspirators were engaging, photos of rich and powerful men in Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit, and concerning text messages about recruiting women for Jeffrey Epstein."
"Photos were selected to provide the public with transparency into a representative sample of the photos received from the estate, and to provide insights into Epstein’s network and his extremely disturbing activities," they added in a statement. "Photos in the Committee’s possession include thousands of images, both graphic and mundane."
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:53 PM EST
What to know about the Epstein bill, deadline to release the files
Congress passed a bill last month, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, to force the Justice Department to release the Epstein files.
According to the text of the Epstein bill, Bondi has until Friday, December 19, to release all materials in the possession of the DOJ, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices relating to investigations into Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as information on travel records, individuals with ties to the pair and his death in 2019.
The release is meant to be comprehensive, with no redactions permitted for potential “embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity” for government officials, public figures or foreign dignitaries. Redactions are allowed, however, to protect the identity of victims and prevent disruption to any active investigations or prosecutions, provided these are accompanied by written justifications.
The president had previously opposed the measure, but changed course following backlash from victims and members of his party, after which it easily cleared both the House and the Senate.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she intended to comply with the deadline set out in the bill in a statement to ABC, but some Democrats have already drawn a connection between the early Christmas recess and the scheduled release of the files.
“Like I said: view all political developments for the rest of the week in light of the fact that the Epstein Files are supposed to be released on Friday,” New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted to X. “House Republicans just suddenly canceled Congressional session Friday and are sending everyone home Thursday evening."
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:46 PM EST
House Republicans call early Christmas break before Epstein files release
Republicans in the House have brought their Christmas recess a day forward—before the Department of Justice (DOJ) is scheduled to release a tranche of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to a floor update released by Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the House will hold its final votes on Thursday afternoon, a change from the GOP’s previously announced schedule which would have seen these taking place on Friday.
Under the guidelines of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, Attorney General Pam Bondi had a 30-day deadline to make publicly available all unclassified materials related to Epstein.
Newsweek has contacted the DOJ through its website and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise's D.C. office by phone outside of regular hours for comment.
Read in full: House Republicans Call Early Christmas Break Before Epstein Files Release
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:39 PM EST
Democrat lawmaker says Epstein files are Republican ‘kryptonite’
Rep. Mike Quigley was asked about Republicans leaving Washington D.C. ahead of tomorrow's deadline to release the Epstein files.
"Well, look, it's what happened before. It's what's going to happen again. It's their kryptonite," he told Newsweek on Thursday.
"It's clearly something the American people want. It's clearly what the majority of people and members of Congress want. Look, this is protecting an American president beyond the realm of any sense of decency.
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:28 PM EST
Top Democrat on Oversight Committee says new images ‘raise more questions’
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said Thursday that the "new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession."
"We must end this White House cover-up, and the DOJ must release the Epstein files now," he added in a statement.
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:16 PM EST
Who is Noam Chomsky?
Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, and political thinker widely regarded as one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th and 21st centuries. Born in 1928 in Philadelphia, he rose to prominence in the 1950s through groundbreaking work in linguistics that transformed the study of language. As a longtime professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Chomsky helped establish modern linguistics and reshaped how scholars understand the human mind and its capacity for language.
Chomsky is best known for developing the theory of generative grammar and the concept of universal grammar, which argue that humans are born with an innate linguistic structure. These ideas challenged behaviorist theories dominant at the time and had a lasting impact not only on linguistics but also on psychology, cognitive science, and artificial intelligence. His academic output is vast, spanning hundreds of articles and dozens of books, making him one of the most cited scholars in history.
Beyond academia, Chomsky is also a prominent political critic and activist. He has been a vocal opponent of U.S. foreign policy, corporate power, and media influence, advancing a perspective rooted in libertarian socialism and anarchist thought. Through widely read books such as Manufacturing Consent, he has argued that mass media often serve elite interests, solidifying his reputation as both a leading public intellectual and a controversial figure in global political debate.
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:12 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Noam Chomsky joins Jeffrey Epstein on private jet
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:12 PM EST
IN PICTURES: UTI medication with patient redacted, from Epstein’s estate
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:05 PM EST
IN PICTURES: Quotes from notorious novel Lolita are scrawled across a woman’s body
Dec 18, 2025 at 01:01 PM EST
Oversight Democrats pledge to keep releasing Epstein photos, documents
The Oversight Dems have pledged to keep releasing additional photos and documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate "to provide transparency for the American people."
"It’s time for the Department of Justice to release the files," the Dems said in a post on X, alongside a photo of what appears to be a Russian passport, and an apparent discussion about sending a girl from Russia.
Dec 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM EST
WATCH: New video from Jeffrey Epstein’s private island released
Dec 18, 2025 at 12:42 PM EST
Ghislaine Maxwell asks for freedom ahead of Epstein files release date
Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, asked a federal judge Wednesday to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and release her from a 20-year prison sentence, arguing that newly surfaced evidence shows her trial was tainted by constitutional violations.
In a habeas corpus petition filed in Manhattan federal court, Maxwell said information that would have led to her acquittal at her 2021 trial was withheld from the defense and that jurors were presented with false testimony. She argued that the cumulative impact of those alleged violations deprived her of a fair trial and resulted in what she called a “complete miscarriage of justice.”
Maxwell said the evidence, which she contends emerged after her conviction, comes from related civil lawsuits, government disclosures, investigative reports and previously unavailable documents. Taken together, she said, the material demonstrates that no reasonable jury would have convicted her had it been presented at trial.
A habeas petition is a legal mechanism that allows someone in custody to challenge the legality of their detention, typically after appeals have been exhausted. Such petitions often allege constitutional violations, including ineffective legal representation or prosecutorial misconduct, and can seek a new trial or release from custody.
Read in full: Ghislaine Maxwell Asks for Freedom Ahead of Epstein Files Release Date
Dec 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM EST
When are the Jeffrey Epstein files supposed to be released?
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed last month that the Justice Department will release its files from the federal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days, following near‑unanimous passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in Congress.
That 30-day deadline expires on Friday, December 19. So far, they have not been released.
The disclosure marks a pivotal moment in a case that has long raised questions about accountability and transparency.
Dec 18, 2025 at 12:38 PM EST
How does these latest photos of Jeffrey Epstein differ to previous images released by Democrats?
This is the third batch of images released by the Democrats from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
The first set featured images of several high profile people including Steve Bannon, Woody Allen, Bill Gates and President Donald Trump,
The second focused on photos from Epstein's properties and what appeared to be his private island, nicknamed Epstein Island.
Today's appears to focus on images of Epstein, passports, and groups of people.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have described several of the yet-unreleased images as "disturbing."
Dec 18, 2025 at 12:31 PM EST
What is in the new release of photos?
Newsweek is currently reviewing the newly released images, but so far, the photos appear to include building plans and passports.
They also feature several images of Jeffrey Epstein and photos of groups of people, without context.
Dec 18, 2025 at 07:43 AM EST
Democrats remind Trump’s DOJ that Epstein files deadline is tomorrow
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez led Democrats calling on President Donald Trump's administration to remember the looming deadline for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
According to a new law, signed by Trump last month, Trump's Justice Department has until Friday, December 19 to release all its documents connected to the investigations into the convicted sex offender.
"Reminder that the Epstein Files are supposed to be released on Friday and every political development that you see between now until then should be viewed with that in mind," New York Democrat AOC said.
The Democrats' official X page also posted that the DOJ must release the files tomorrow 'to comply with federal law."
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