The US Department of Justice has made public a significant new batch of photographs and documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files, shedding further light on the disgraced financier's extensive network of powerful associates. The release, which occurred on Friday, December 20, 2025, includes never-before-seen images and follows revelations that some of Epstein's alleged victims were trafficked on nearly 90 flights to and from the UK between the early 1990s and 2018.
Political Figures Under the Spotlight
One of the most anticipated questions ahead of the release was the extent of former US President Donald Trump's appearance in the files. Despite their well-documented friendship in the 1990s and early 2000s, Trump's presence in Friday's document dump was notably minimal. The files contained a single photograph appearing to show Epstein holding a cheque with Trump's name on it, and another image from Epstein's New York home featured a copy of Trump's 1997 book, 'The Art of the Comeback'.
In contrast, former President Bill Clinton featured prominently. Multiple photos showed Clinton socialising with Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Images depicted him swimming in a pool with Maxwell, sitting in a hot tub, and posing with his arm around a woman whose face was redacted. A painting of Clinton wearing a blue dress, which hung in Epstein's New York residence, was also among the released materials. Clinton's chief of staff, Angel Urena, dismissed the images as "grainy 20-plus-year-old photos" and reiterated that Clinton knew nothing of Epstein's crimes.
A Gallery of Famous Faces
The latest cache of images reads like a who's who of late-20th-century celebrity. Alongside Clinton, the files included photographs of the late pop icon Michael Jackson, with one image showing Clinton smiling with his arm around the singer. Music legend Diana Ross and Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger also appeared, with Jagger pictured alongside Clinton and a redacted woman.
British figures were not absent. Sir Richard Branson was photographed with Epstein and two women. Former UK minister Peter Mandelson was pictured sitting next to Epstein as the convicted sex offender blew out candles on a birthday cake. Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, was seen on a sofa, while the Duke of York himself was photographed lying across women at a black-tie event with Maxwell standing behind them. Actor Kevin Spacey appeared in a group photo with Maxwell and Clinton in London's Churchill War Rooms.
Redactions and Legal Controversy
The release has been mired in controversy due to the extensive redactions applied by the Department of Justice. Many photographs had the faces of other individuals obscured, and numerous documents were heavily censored. This included a 119-page document believed to contain grand jury testimony and three separate 100-page files that were entirely blacked out.
This has prompted accusations from lawmakers that the DOJ is breaking the law, specifically the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed on November 18, 2025. The Act mandates the Attorney General to release all related documents within 30 days. Senior Democrats, including Senator Adam Schiff, have demanded explanations for the failure to publish all files by the December 19 deadline, with some threatening legal action.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that several hundred thousand documents were released on the deadline, with several hundred thousand more expected over the following two weeks. He emphasised the need to protect victims during the process, but critics argue the heavily redacted release represents only a fraction of the evidence held.
The ongoing document disclosures continue to fuel public and political scrutiny into one of the most notorious criminal cases of the modern era, connecting a web of elite figures to the orbit of a convicted paedophile.
