Epstein files due today as US confronts long-delayed reckoning

The US Justice Department will release several hundred thousand documents today from the investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a top official said, with more files in the politically explosive case to be published over coming weeks.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in an interview with “Fox and Friends,” also says that no new charges were imminent in a scandal that continues to convulse America.

Prosecutors have the latitude to withhold material related to active investigations and Blanche said the documents will also be painstakingly redacted to protect the identities of Epstein’s hundreds of victims.

Epstein, a wealthy financier with ties to global elites, died in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

His death — ruled a suicide — fueled conspiracy theories and demands for accountability in a case that sits at the crossroads of immense wealth, political influence and perceived impunity.

US President Donald Trump, once a close friend of Epstein, fought for months to prevent the release of the Epstein files held by the Justice Department.

However, on November 19, he caved to pressure from Congress, including from his Republican Party, and signed a law compelling publication of the materials within 30 days.

Friday is the deadline for the release of the long-awaited records.

“I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today,” Blanche says. “So today, several hundred thousand and then over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.

“As of today, there’s no new charges coming, but we are investigating,” he adds.