Washington, 20 December (H.S.): The US Justice Department on Friday initiated the release of thousands of long-awaited documents from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, unveiling previously unseen photographs and records that spotlight connections with high-profile figures including former President Bill Clinton and current President Donald Trump.
This partial disclosure, mandated by a congressional deadline, includes heavily redacted files amid ongoing probes, with hundreds of thousands more expected in coming weeks.
Among the revelations, images depict a younger Bill Clinton reclining in a hot tub with portions obscured by black rectangles, alongside another showing him swimming with a dark-haired woman identified as appearing to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's convicted accomplice currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.
Additional photos place Clinton with Epstein and others, bearing what seems to be his signature, while President Trump's name surfaces in a contact book recovered from the files—though ownership remains unclear—and he appears amid obscured women in social settings from Epstein's estate.
Celebrities like Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson also feature in Epstein's social orbit, with seven pages listing 254 masseuses fully blacked out to shield potential victims.
Trump, once socially linked to Epstein in Palm Beach and New York circles during the 1990s, had resisted full disclosure for months, labeling it a Democrat hoax, before yielding to bipartisan congressional pressure via legislation signed last month.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed on Fox News that redactions protect victims and active investigations, with no new charges imminent despite public demands for clarity on Epstein's 2008 lenient plea deal and 2019 jailhouse death ruled a suicide.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried the rollout as a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past, fueling partisan tensions. The files offer fresh glimpses into Epstein's operations but withhold key elements like grand jury transcripts and client lists, leaving questions about elite involvement unresolved.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
