The Epstein Files are finally closer to being released after President Donald Trump backed down from his calls to prevent Republicans from voting on their release
Jeffrey Epstein’s links to powerful elites remain hidden within the unreleased so-called Epstein Files, though questions over the late child sex trafficker’s secrets could finally be answered soon.
A political earthquake rocked Washington DC on Tuesday when the typically partisan and combative Congress overwhelmingly passed bills aimed at finally releasing the Epstein Files. The US House of Representatives voted 427-1 to force the justice department to release all of the documents.
In a swift move, the Senate announced it would unanimously pass the bill, clearing major legislative hurdles and sending it directly to Donald Trump’s desk for signature. Following a lengthy battle with his own Republican Party over the release, Trump made an embarrassing U-turn and urged Congress to pass the bill.
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The US President previously branded the Epstein Files a “Democrat hoax” and slammed Republicans for pushing for a vote to release the files. Trump supporters were stunned by his efforts to disrupt the vote, as both he and now-members of his administration called for the files to be released while on the campaign trail last year.
Trump’s bizarre actions have led to questions about what might be in the files. Here are seven things we hope to learn, should the files be released.
Will files reveal further Epstein-Andrew links?
Epstein’s links with powerful global figures is well known with his friendship with then-Prince Andrew being among the most publicised. Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has consistently and strongly denied any wrongdoing in his relationship with Epstein.
Files released last week have already revealed Epstein was advised to stay away from Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in a bid to clean up his tarnished reputation as a convicted child sex trafficker. The documents from Epstein’s estate also reveal Andrew told the billionaire and his partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell “I can’t take any more of this” when speaking about allegations made by the late victim Virginia Giuffre.
Unreleased documents could expose further details about Andrew and Epstein’s friendship, as well as what they discussed.
Why did Donald Trump work so hard to block release?
Trump galvanised a new coalition that sent him back to the White House, in part vowing to take the fight to Washington DC elites. Part of this promise was to release the Epstein files in full, which attracted widespread support from Americans concerned about the billionaire’s ties to powerful figures.
But in a baffling move, Trump not only did not release all the files but appeared to actively challenge those Republicans who battled to bring the vote to the House floor. Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to the lowest of his term, in part over his handling of the Epstein Files, leading to to questions about why he took such a confrontational approach.
Did Epstein work alone?
One of the many questions about Epstein is whether he worked alone in committing his crimes? Epstein lived a billionaire lifestyle where he jetted off on private jets and rubbed shoulders with powerful figures.
We do know that Epstein worked with his British socialite pal/girlfriend Maxwell, but there could be more revelations that haven’t yet been disclosed.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in July 2022 for trafficking underage girls with Epstein. The 60-year-old was convicted of five charges in December 2021 for recruiting and grooming four girls to have sexual encounters with Epstein, who was then her boyfriend, between 1994 and 2004 following a month-long trial.
Did Epstein directly blackmail people?
Amid the unravelling Epstein scandal, speculation grew over whether Epstein had information that could tarnish the reputations of his associates. It is unclear whether Epstein had a so-called client list or directly threatened people with blackmail in connection to his crimes.
A supposed client list or direct blackmail messages have failed to materialise in released documents, leading many to ponder if unreleased files have any further details.
Was Epstein linked with foreign governments?
Republican Representative for Georgia Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly broke ranks with Trump and suggested a foreign government could be involved in an alleged Epstein cover up. Previously speaking with CNN, Greene said: “I think the right question to ask is, ‘was Jeffrey Epstein working for Israel?'”
Her comments came after Epstein’s communications with ex-Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak could hint that he was an intelligence asset for the country. There is no evidence that has been released that suggests Epstein worked directly for a foreign government.
Could US Government have stopped Epstein sooner?
Epstein’s heinous crimes have become infamous with questions being raised over how he could have carried out his sickening child sex trafficking operation for so long without the US government stepping in. Unreleased documents could reveal more information that could explain this.
Who are the powerful men in files?
Republican Representative Thomas Massie said urged for a similar consequences faced by Andrew Mountbatten Windsor to be applied to other powerful men who knew Epstein. He previously said: “There’s becoming a reckoning in Britain that needs to happen in the United States: a prince lost his title, the ambassador to the United States lost his job. We need to see those same kind of consequences here.
“As my colleague Ro [Khanna] said, there shouldn’t be buildings named after these perpetrators of these heinous crimes, there shouldn’t be scholarships named after them, and there needs to be accounting.”
It is widely believed that more names will be revealed when the Epstein Files are finally released.
