Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, DC, held signs in front of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, ahead of a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on releasing the Epstein files. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to conduct a briefing this week to review the contents of the Epstein files ahead of the Justice Department’s legally binding release date later this month.
Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., as well as Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., sent a letter to Bondi on Wednesday urging “transparency and clarity” as the department prepares to release evidence collected during the federal investigation into the sex offender. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
“We write as bipartisan lead sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to express our shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to implement the provisions of this important new law,” the lawmakers wrote.
“Given the short 30-day deadline for releasing the Epstein files, we are particularly focused on understanding the content of any new evidence, information or procedural hurdles that could impact the Department’s ability to meet this statutory deadline.”
The US House of Representatives approved by an overwhelming majority Legislature, 427-1, to force the Justice Department to publicly release the material. The Senate agreed unanimously. President Donald Trump, after months of calling the files a “hoax,” signed The bill comes into force on November 19th and the publication period begins on December 19th.
Epstein surrounded himself with influential politicians and celebrities and had a well-documented friendship with Trump.
“New information” appears
The legislators highlighted in the letter that the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a memo in July saying that the department would not publicly release any further information or materials related to the Epstein investigation because officials had “not uncovered any evidence that could support an investigation into unindicted third parties.”
But on November 14, the department announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan would launch a “new investigation” into possible ties between Epstein and former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and prominent investor Reid Hoffman.
Bondi said during a Nov. 19 press conference that “there is information, new information, additional information.”
“In the interest of transparency and clarity about the steps required to faithfully implement the Epstein Files Transparency Act, we request a briefing, either in a classified or unclassified setting, to discuss the full contents of this new information in your possession at your convenience, but no later than Friday, December 5, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote to Bondi.
The law provides an exception that precludes the publication of any material that is part of an ongoing investigation.
In response to States Newsroom’s request for comment, Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre wrote in an email: “I can confirm receipt of the letter but will decline further comment.”
“Never-before-seen” photos from Epstein Island
The letter to Bondi comes as Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released “never-before-seen” photos and videos of Epstein’s residence on Little Saint James, a miniature private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The committee requested the images from the U.S. Virgin Islands Justice Department as part of lawmakers’ ongoing investigation into Epstein’s activities.
“These new images provide a disturbing glimpse into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island. We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help paint a complete picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes. We will not stop fighting until we bring justice to the survivors,” committee member Robert Garcia said in a statement.
Some of the files are published publicly in a cloud Folderinclude images of furnished bedrooms, bathrooms, a room with masks on the wall and what appears to be a dental exam chair, a telephone with a list of names on speed dial, some redacted, and a board with notes, some redacted, that appear to contain the words “power” and “deception.”
Videos show a huge property with an in-ground swimming pool and a winding stone path to the sea, as well as brief clips of bedrooms and at least one medicine cabinet.
The committee’s Republican-led investigation began in August and is independent of the novel law requiring the Justice Department to disclose evidence.
Committee Republicans did not issue a press release regarding Democrats’ release of the images and videos as of Wednesday afternoon.
Last month, the Democratic committee released a selection Emails provided by Epstein’s estate. Within hours, committee Republicans released a cache of 23,000 pages of correspondence.
The committee, chaired by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has issued several subpoenas, including one to the Justice Department for all Epstein investigation files. Others include Summons to interview Epstein’s co-conspirator and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as well as several former attorneys general.
According to the FBI, Epstein had over 1,000 victims.
Epstein, a former hedge fund manager who claimed he only managed assets for billionaires, pleaded guilty to federal charges of sexual solicitation of minors and prostitution.
He avoided a federal investigation when then-U.S. Attorney in Miami Alex Acosta canceled the plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
Acosta was set to become Trump’s labor secretary in 2017.
