House Democrats release new Jeffrey Epstein photos showing Trump as DOJ faces release deadline
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on Friday released a fresh batch of photos from the estate of the late Jeffrey Epstein, including three images of Donald Trump, intensifying pressure on the U.S. Department of Justice days before a court-ordered deadline to disclose its own cache of Epstein-related files.
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The committee’s Democrats said they are reviewing more than 95,000 images obtained from Epstein’s estate and made 19 available publicly. In one black-and-white photo, Trump smiles with several women whose faces are blurred. A second image shows Trump standing beside Epstein, and a third, less-clear photo shows Trump seated next to a woman with his red tie loosened; her face is also redacted.
Other public figures appearing in the newly released images include former President Bill Clinton, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, film director Woody Allen and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. The batch also includes photos of sex toys and a novelty $4.50 “Trump condom” emblazoned with Trump’s face, according to the committee.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, said the release is part of an ongoing effort to force transparency around Epstein’s network and influence. “These disturbing photos raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world,” Garcia said in a statement. “We will not rest until the American people get the truth. The Department of Justice must release all the files, NOW.”
The committee said it redacted women’s faces to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims. Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges; authorities ruled the death a suicide. He had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution-related charges in Florida.
Trump and Epstein moved in overlapping social circles in the 1990s and early 2000s. Trump has said he severed ties before Epstein’s 2008 plea and has consistently denied knowing about Epstein’s abuse or involvement in sex trafficking.
The release comes as the Justice Department is expected to publicize unclassified Epstein files from its federal investigation late next week. That timeline is tied to a new law, signed last month by Trump, that compels the DOJ to release the Epstein files within 30 days. The bill, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was led by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., sets Dec. 19 as the end of the disclosure window.
Oversight Democrats said they intend to continue publishing materials they obtain, including from the estate and related legal proceedings, even as they await the Justice Department’s release. Investigators on Capitol Hill and within federal agencies have faced sustained public scrutiny over what information about Epstein’s associates, travel, correspondence and finances remains sealed or redacted.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The new images add to the growing documentary record surrounding Epstein’s connections with wealthy and politically influential figures. While photographs alone do not establish the context or nature of relationships, their release underscores how the fight over Epstein’s files has become a proxy for larger debates about transparency, accountability and unequal justice in cases touching the powerful.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
