House Democrats on Thursday (Dec 18) released several dozen more photos from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, highlighting his connections to the rich and powerful, as the US Justice Department faces a looming deadline to release key files related to the late financier.
The release comes just days before the Justice Department is required by law to release large portions of its Epstein-related records by the end of the week.
Photo from Epstein’s estate
The newly released images are part of more than 95,000 photos obtained by the House Oversight Committee after subpoenas were issued for materials Epstein possessed before his death in a New York City jail cell in 2019.
Among the photos are images of Epstein cooking with Sultan Ahmed bin Sulay, an Emirati businessman. Other images show billionaire Bill Gates and scenes from a 2011 dinner attended by prominent figures and wealthy philanthropists hosted by the nonprofit.
The committee said it was not making any allegations of wrongdoing against those appearing in the images.
Victim Protection Office
The batch of photographs also includes images of passports, visas and identification cards from countries such as Russia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, South Africa and Lithuania. Personal identification information has been redacted.
Other photos show Epstein with women or girls, their faces obscured. The committee said the redactions are meant to prevent victims or potential victims from being identified.
Democrats are demanding transparency at the Justice Department
Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said the new material raises concerns about what evidence remains undisclosed.
“These new images raise more questions about what exactly the Justice Department has in their possession,” Garcia said. “We must end this White House cover-up and the Justice Department must release the Epstein files now.”
Deadline for release of Epstein files
Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed legislation requiring the Justice Department to release its files on Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell by Friday.
Public interest in the files has been intense, fueled by years of conspiracy theories and speculation surrounding Epstein’s relationships with powerful figures, including Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s former Prince Andrew.
Earlier publication of photos
House Democrats have previously released dozens of photos from Epstein’s estate showing him alongside Trump, Clinton and Prince Andrew. Andrew lost his royal title and privileges earlier this year amid renewed scrutiny of his links to the disgraced financier.
As the deadline looms, pressure is mounting on the Justice Department to release what it knows about one of the most controversial cases involving elite figures in recent history.
