After months of political wrangling, the US Justice Department released documents from its investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which could have political repercussions.
The decision to release these documents in stages angered Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who pointed out that the law is “very clear.”
An analysis by the British newspaper The Guardian suggested that the rapid release of the Epstein files on Friday indicates a move to “bury” Trump’s connections.
The report stated that the Justice Department is using a variety of tactics to try to conceal the US president’s connection to the sex offender, referring to Epstein.
It explained that the Justice Department’s “partial release” of the Epstein files reflects a variety of tactics used to try to “conceal” and “obfuscate” Trump’s relationship with Epstein.
The report stated that there was “no real doubt” the department would release the files late Friday afternoon, noting that it was a well-worn Washington tactic to “bury” unflattering news before the weekend.
Not all files released
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the department did not release all the files on Friday, as required by law, and anticipated that the department would release more documents in the coming weeks.
“Hundreds of thousands were released today, and then in the coming weeks, I expect hundreds of thousands more. A lot of eyes are on these documents, and we want to make sure that when we produce the material we produce, we protect each and every victim individually,” he explained.
The report confirmed that by the time the administration released thousands of pages of material on Friday evening—not the hundreds of thousands promised by Blanche—many documents had been heavily or completely redacted.
According to the Guardian, with the exception of a few photographs, the documents did not mention Trump, even though Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that Trump had been informed earlier this year that his name was included in the files.
The report noted that the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandates the release of the materials, would require Attorney General Pam Bondi to submit a report within 15 days of the document’s release, detailing all categories of records and summarizing the redacted material and the reasons for its redaction.
