Trump Signed The Bill To Release The Epstein Files. What Happens Next?

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Wednesday night requiring the release of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The move follows the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act in both the House and Senate earlier this week.

And now, the countdown begins.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has 30 days to publish “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein,” according to the bill summary.

The DOJ is also required to release any materials related to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate and convicted sex trafficker.

This includes flight logs, travel records, and individuals named or referenced — including government officials — in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Epstein.

The published information must be released in a “searchable and downloadable” format, the bill said.

However, the release may not be comprehensive.

The bill allows the attorney general to withhold or redact certain records, including victims’ names, as well as materials that could jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.

Earlier in November, Trump asked Bondi to investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with individuals, including Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, and financial institutions such as JPMorgan Chase, to “determine what was going on with them, and him.”

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) previously appeared on CNN and said they wrote the legislation that way “so that if it did pass, things would be on a fast track.”

He noted there could be delays if investigations are underway.

“It is true that if they start investigations in one sort of silo of area of these Epstein files, they could block or delay — it won’t delay it forever, but they could delay releasing those files there. But here’s the thing, there are 1,000 victims and there are so many perpetrators, they can’t open enough cases to block all of the Epstein files,” Massie said.

Additionally, the DOJ will have 15 days after publishing to report the categories of information withheld, a summary of redactions, and a list of all “government officials and politically exposed individuals named or referenced in the published materials.”

“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump said Wednesday night.

The Department of Justice has already released 50,000 pages of documents, Trump said.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee has been conducting its own review of the federal government’s investigations into Epstein and Maxwell. This week, the committee issued subpoenas to JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank for Epstein’s financial records.

More is coming, but just how much and when remains to be seen.