Years of public pressure to disclose what the government knows about the Jeffrey Epstein case has reached a critical juncture as the Trump administration hits a deadline imposed by lawmakers to release the Epstein files.
Congress set a 30-day deadline, which arrived Friday, Dec. 19, in a highly-anticipated moment for an issue that has dogged President Donald Trump throughout his first year back in office, enflamed his MAGA base, caused a rift with allies and exposed the limits of his considerable sway over his supporters.
Epstein, a wealth manager with connections to the rich and famous, committed suicide in jail in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He has nonetheless lived on as a potent political issue. Questions about the case have persisted for years, including about how Epstein died and whether high-profile figures might be implicated in the sex trafficking allegations against him.
Epstein files deadline sparks 'incredible fear' among victims
The Trump administration tried to close the book on the Epstein case in July, when the Justice Department released a memo reaffirming Epstein died by suicide, saying no evidence of a sex trafficking client list had been found and no more records would be released. Trump and Epstein were friends for more than a decade during the 1990s and early 2000s.
