The US Department of Justice on Friday released the "Epstein Dossier", which contains thousands of new documents and previously unknown materials belonging to the archive of Jeffrey Epstein, accused of the largest sexual abuse scandal in the US.
The Department of Justice's new website, called the "Epstein Library," clearly explains the four main categories of documents released. The documents are part of court files, Department of Justice materials, authentic private records, and other official documents.
The photos that have caused the most stir are those with former US President Bill Clinton and well-known figures from the world of showbiz. The images show Bill Clinton, as well as Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson and Kevin Spacey. There is no legal violation in the photo, but the connections of the famous characters to the scandals involving Jeffrey Epstein are still unclear.
Two of the images released show former US President Bill Clinton in a swimming pool. The photos are undated and it is not clear where they were taken.
In one, Clinton is seen swimming alongside two people. One's identity has been redacted with a black square, while the other appears to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted accomplice who is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Clinton was photographed several times with Epstein during the 1990s and early 2000s, before the financier's first arrest. Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein's abuse and has denied any knowledge of his sex crimes.
In 2019, a Clinton spokesman stated that the former president "knows nothing about the horrific crimes" of which Epstein was found guilty.
The Justice Department's filing also includes photos of current President Donald Trump and other figures that were previously released to the media during Epstein's trials. The department said about 1,200 names and photos have been redacted to protect the identities of the victims.
Jeffrey Epstein filmed and documented everything
The US Department of Justice said the publication of the "Epstein Library" marks an important step towards transparency, bringing together for the first time in a single place a vast archive of documents that shed light on one of the most serious scandals of recent decades in the US.
The archive contains thousands of photos, documents and film footage. Jeffrey Epstein had a habit of keeping extensive notes and archives, including video recordings of his activities. The file contains photographic material, numerous CDs containing images, as well as photographs of audio cassettes with recordings.
One of the images from Epstein's New York apartment shows a voice recorder, while other photos show audio tapes. In some of them, handwritten descriptions have been redacted by the Justice Department.
There are also images of tapes, which appear to be surveillance tapes from Epstein's Palm Beach residence.
The file also contains many handwritten notes, some of which mention Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted in 2021 for her role in facilitating Epstein's crimes.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier, widely known for one of the largest child sexual abuse and trafficking scandals in the US.
Epstein was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking underage girls, some of them under the age of 14. He was also suspected of having created a sexual exploitation ring, with the involvement of accomplices.
His closest associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was sentenced in 2021 to 20 years in prison for her role in facilitating Epstein's crimes.
Epstein is often mentioned because of his connections to powerful figures and the fact that many documents, photos and evidence were only released years later. He died in prison in August 2019 by suicide, although the case has raised many suspicions and theories.