President Donald Trump Wednesday night signed a bill that orders the Department of Justice to release files related to the case involving sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose illegal activities and contacts with prominent figures continue to rock politics six years after his death in jail.
“I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!” Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth Social site.
The bill direct the DOJ to release unclassified records relating to Epstein and his convicted partner Ghislaine Maxwell.
The president called the disgraced financier a “lifelong Democrat.”
Trump claimed Epstein “was deeply associated with many well-known Democrat figures.”
The measure ended at the White House desk after its passage in both chambers – the House and the Senate – on the Capitol Hill.
Trump backed the move to pass a measure requiring release of Epstein files.
“Because of this request, the votes were almost unanimous in favor of passage,” Trump wrote.
The DOJ’s view that there was nothing left worthy of release about the files angered Trump’s MAGA base this summer.
As members of Congress prepared to vote on the bill, victims of Epstein’s trafficking have appeared alongside politicians to urge that the documents be made public.
This story is being updated
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as a correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
After near-unanimous approval by both the Senate and Congress, the President has signed the measure, paving the way for the release of the Epstein files. Following a prolonged stalemate—caused by an unnecessary congressional vote blockade—lawmakers have finally done what should have been done six weeks ago, sparing millions of Americans needless hardship. What the Department of Justice will do next remains to be seen.