Questions and Answers The Epstein files are published – does Trump have to tremble now?

During the election campaign, Donald Trump promised his fans that all Epstein files would be released, but as president he wanted nothing more to do with them. Now he had to give up his resistance: Under massive political pressure, Trump agreed that the files on the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein would be made public.

This threatens to have a restless Advent for some of Epstein’s prominent former associates – and possibly Trump himself. The House and Senate bill, which Trump approved on Friday, would require the Justice Department to release the documents within 30 days. This should happen by mid-December at the latest.

What can we expect from the release and what is it actually about? The most important questions and answers.

Jeffrey Epstein was an investment banker from New York. Among other things, he worked as an asset manager for billionaires and established close personal contacts with numerous rich and powerful people. Trump also spent time with Epstein, as party videos show. Epstein, who was a multimillionaire himself, ran an abuse ring for years. Many young women, including minors, were victims. Epstein also assaulted them himself.

Almost 20 years ago, the case went to trial and Epstein pleaded guilty to certain charges. Years later, the case was reopened and the multimillionaire was arrested again. Before a possible further verdict could be made, the financier died in his prison cell in 2019 at the age of 66. The autopsy report listed suicide as the cause of death.

Epstein’s sudden death and his diverse contacts in high society sparked speculation about the possible involvement of influential circles in the abuse scandal. The Epstein files are investigative files on the case, some of which were previously kept under lock and key.

Celebrities who were too close to Epstein and may have known about his crimes. Previous revelations about the abuse scandal have already brought well-known personalities into disrepute. The most prominent example is the British ex-Prince Andrew, who maintained contact with Epstein and recently had to give up his noble title.

The Epstein Files Disclosure Act now stipulates that files relating to “individuals, including government officials,” “named in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities” must also be disclosed. Documents on organizations that have or had “connections to Epstein’s human trafficking or financial networks” should also be released.

Trump, as a New York real estate tycoon and as a neighbor in Palm Beach, Florida, socialized with Epstein from the 1990s. Videos and photos suggest a friendship. So far, the president has not been proven to have committed any wrongdoing in the affair. Trump wanted to prevent the Epstein files from being published for a long time, but the president reacted extremely thin-skinned to questions.

Speculation about Trump’s specific involvement in the affair had repeatedly flared up in the past. At the beginning of September, for example, the Democrats posted a copy of an alleged birthday greeting online that Trump is said to have sent to Epstein more than 20 years ago. The Republican denied being the author of the letter.

Trump is also incriminated by emails from Epstein that Democratic MPs recently published. “Of course he knew about the girls,” Epstein wrote about Trump in January 2019. In an older email from April 2011, Epstein writes that Trump spent “hours” with abuse victim Virginia Giuffre. Although her name was blacked out, the White House confirmed that it was about Giuffre, who committed suicide in April.

The law requires the Justice Department to release unclassified Epstein files no later than 30 days after they come into effect. The focus is on documents from the US Department of Justice, the public prosecutor’s office and the FBI, which document the investigation against Epstein and contain information about his detention. Also in focus:

Yes, documents and information in the affair have already been published. For example, a parliamentary committee published a collection of documents containing more than 33,000 pages at the beginning of September. The Justice Department made the files available. However, Democrats criticized the fact that most of the documents were already known.

The parliamentary committee is currently also examining Epstein’s estate. Members of Congress have recently published documents from this several times. Democrats recently published email excerpts in which Trump’s name appears. That sparked new speculation about whether and how much the Republican knew about Epstein’s crimes.

The law allows the Justice Department to make exceptions when it comes to publication: information may be withheld or blacked out, “such as personal information about victims and materials that would jeopardize an ongoing federal investigation.” Content that endangers national security and is classified as secret does not have to be published. All changes to the documents must be justified in writing.

Many observers fear that the Justice Department, which is responsible for the publication, could remove references to the president. The law explicitly states that no documents may be withheld in order to spare government employees or public figures or to protect their reputation. The Justice Department, led by Pam Bondi, is considered loyal to Trump. It has already followed the president’s demands on several occasions and is not considered independent by many.

The law also plays a central role in stating that files relating to ongoing investigations can remain locked. Just last Friday, Trump initiated investigations against former President Bill Clinton and his Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, the latter of whom has since announced his withdrawal from public life. Critics fear that the Trump administration could also withhold other files based on ongoing investigations.

Victims and politicians hope that the publication of the Epstein files will provide more answers and insights into the systematic abuse directed by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. To what extent the hopes will be fulfilled is uncertain. Trump had long refused to release all files and will probably continue to pull out all the stops in the Justice Department to prevent unpleasant publications about himself.

Many US citizens are also eagerly awaiting the announced publication of the documents detailing the exact circumstances of his death. Many doubt that Epstein really committed suicide in his prison cell, but rather suspect a murder plot to cover up the extent of the affair.

However, it is questionable whether the publication of the papers will end the Epstein issue to everyone’s satisfaction. The Wall Street Journal writes: “The demand to uncover a global conspiracy – a theory that was initially fueled by those around Trump – will never be fulfilled. No matter what files are made public, you can expect complaints about redactions and suggestions that the actual evidence will continue to be covered up.”