The United States Department of Justice has made it clear that, despite the deeply disturbing nature of many materials contained in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, the review has not produced grounds for any new criminal prosecutions. Senior officials stressed that while the documents include troubling photographs, extensive email exchanges, and other unsettling content, these materials on their own do not meet the legal threshold required to bring additional charges.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reiterated on Sunday that the department’s position has not changed since an internal review conducted last summer. That earlier assessment concluded that the Epstein-related records did not justify opening fresh criminal investigations, and Blanche said the same conclusion still applies even after the latest, massive release of documents. Speaking on CNN’s State of the Union, he acknowledged the disturbing character of the evidence but emphasised that prosecutors cannot move forward without legally sufficient proof linking individuals to prosecutable crimes.
Blanche explained that the files contain large volumes of correspondence, emails, and photographs—some of which he described as “horrible”—that appear to involve Epstein or people around him. However, he said such material does not automatically translate into criminal liability for those mentioned. He added that while survivors of Epstein’s abuse understandably seek justice and accountability, the justice system cannot manufacture evidence or pursue cases that are not legally viable.
Under a transparency law, the Justice Department announced on Friday that it is releasing more than three million pages of Epstein-related documents, along with over 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 images. These materials stem from nearly two decades of investigations into Epstein’s activities. The release has reignited public and political scrutiny of Epstein’s extensive network and his past associations with influential figures across politics, business, and philanthropy.
The fallout from the disclosures has been swift and international. In Slovakia, a senior official resigned after photographs and emails revealed meetings with Epstein following his release from jail. In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggested that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a longtime associate of Epstein, should cooperate with US investigators and clarify what he knows about Epstein’s conduct.
The released files, now available on the Justice Department’s website, include documents detailing Epstein’s relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor as well as email exchanges with prominent figures such as former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, and references to billionaires Bill Gates and Elon Musk. None of these mentions, officials stressed, automatically imply wrongdoing.
Public fascination with the Epstein case has long been fuelled by his past friendships with powerful political leaders, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. Both have previously stated that they had no knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
Among the newly disclosed materials is a spreadsheet compiled last August that summarised calls received by the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center and a prosecutor-run hotline. These calls came from individuals claiming to have information about alleged wrongdoing by Trump and other prominent figures. The document includes a wide array of unverified and sometimes fantastical claims involving various celebrities, along with notes indicating whether any follow-up action was taken by investigators.
Blanche said there are “a ton of people” named throughout the Epstein files and noted that the FBI received hundreds of tips related to well-known individuals. According to him, many of these allegations were quickly assessed and deemed not credible. He emphasised that the presence of a name in the files does not equate to evidence of criminal conduct.
Some of Epstein’s personal emails included candid discussions about his lifestyle, including references to paying women for sex even after he had served jail time for soliciting a minor in Florida. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
One email from 2013, written by an unidentified correspondent, criticised Epstein for surrounding himself with young women in relationships that blurred professional and personal boundaries. The writer noted that Epstein’s earlier trial had already shaped public perception of him as a powerful man exploiting vulnerable young women. Another email from 2009, written by a woman whose name was redacted, sharply rebuked Epstein for breaking promises to her, accusing him of continuing to involve prostitutes in his life and expressing emotional distress over his behaviour.
In a separate interview on ABC’s This Week, Blanche said that aside from a small number of documents still awaiting judicial approval for release, the Justice Department’s review is effectively complete. He said investigators examined more than six million pages of material, thousands of videos, and tens of thousands of images during the process.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC’s Meet the Press that he believes the Justice Department is complying with the law mandating public disclosure of the Epstein files. However, Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, a co-sponsor of the transparency legislation, disagreed. He argued that the department has not fully met its obligations and said survivors were upset that some of their names were inadvertently released without proper redaction.
Blanche responded that whenever the department becomes aware that a victim’s identity was not adequately protected, it acts quickly to correct the error. He maintained that such mistakes represent only a very small fraction of the total volume of material released, reiterating that the department is committed to balancing transparency with the protection of victims.
