Trump Signs Bill Requiring Justice Department to Release Jeffrey Epstein Files Within 30 Days

US President Donald Trump has officially signed a new bill directing the US Justice Department to release all files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The newly approved legislation mandates that all Epstein-related investigative materials be made available to the public in a searchable and downloadable format within 30 days.

Trump, who previously opposed releasing these files, shifted his stance following mounting pressure from Epstein’s victims and several members of the Republican Party. With Trump’s endorsement, the bill passed overwhelmingly in Congress—clearing the House with a 427–1 vote and later gaining unanimous consent in the Senate.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Democrats of using the Epstein issue as a political distraction, writing:
“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed, because I HAVE JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES!”

Although Trump could have ordered the release unilaterally, Congress moved forward with formal legislation. The files to be released include criminal investigation documents, victim and witness interview transcripts, internal Justice Department communications, flight logs, and information about individuals connected to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

These materials differ from the 20,000 pages of Epstein estate documents Congress released last week—some of which referenced Trump and included a 2018 Epstein message claiming, “I am the one able to take him down.”

Trump has repeatedly stated he ended his association with Epstein in the early 2000s and denies any wrongdoing. Speaking to reporters, he said the Epstein scandal is primarily a “Democrat problem,” asserting that Republicans “had nothing to do with Epstein.”

Epstein died in 2019 in a New York prison cell, with the coroner ruling it a suicide while he awaited trial for sex trafficking. His social circle once included high-profile names such as Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, and several influential figures in politics, academia, and entertainment.

In related developments, former Harvard president Larry Summers has taken a leave of absence while the university reviews his interactions with Epstein, which surfaced in recently disclosed emails.

Under the new law, Attorney General Pam Bondi must release all non-classified records related to Epstein and Maxwell. However, the bill allows withholding portions that could compromise active investigations, violate personal privacy, or identify victims.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, one of the bill’s architects, expressed concerns that new investigations could be used as a justification to delay releasing the files. “I’m concerned that they may be trying to use those investigations as a predicate for not releasing the files,” he said.