Robin Galbraith, 61, of Maryland, and Donna Powell, 67, of Washington, D.C., held signs outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, ahead of the House of Representatives’ vote to release the Epstein files. (Photo: Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is pushing Attorney General Pam Bondi to hold a briefing this week to review the contents of the Epstein dossier ahead of the Justice Department’s legally binding date for the public release of the documents later this month.
Sense. Jeff Merkley, Oregon, Lisa Murkowski, Alaska, and Ben Ray Luján, DN.M. and Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., sent a letter to Bondi on Wednesday calling for “transparency and clarity” as the department prepares to release evidence collected during a federal sex offender investigation. Epstein died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
“We are writing as the bipartisan lead sponsor of the Epstein Records Transparency Act to express our shared interest in supporting the Department of Justice’s efforts to implement the provisions of this critical new law,” the lawmakers wrote.
“In light of the short 30-day deadline for releasing the Epstein files, we are particularly focused on understanding the content of any new evidence, information, or procedural obstacles that could prevent the Department from meeting this statutory deadline.”
US Chamber overwhelmingly approved legislation, 427-1, to force the Department of Justice to publicly release the material. The Senate agreed unanimously. President Donald Trump after months of calling the documents a ‘hoax’ signed the act entered into force on November 19, starting the publication deadline on December 19.
Epstein surrounded himself with influential politicians and celebrities and had a well-documented friendship with Trump.
“New information” appears.
The legislators emphasized in the above-mentioned letter that the Federal Bureau of Investigation released a memo in July stating that the department would not publicly release any further information or materials related to the Epstein investigation because officials “have not uncovered evidence that would lead to an investigation of unindicted third parties.”
However, on November 14, the department announced that the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan would launch a “new investigation” into any connections between Epstein and former President Bill Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and prominent investor Reid Hoffman.
Bondi said during a Nov. 19 news conference that “information, new information, additional information has emerged.”
“In the interest of transparency and clarity regarding the steps required to faithfully implement the Epstein File Transparency Act, we request a closed or unclassified briefing to discuss the full content of the new information at your disposal at your convenience, but no later than Friday, December 5, 2025.” lawmakers wrote to Bondi.
The law includes an exception that exempts the release of any materials that are part of an ongoing investigation.
In response to a request for comment from States Newsroom, Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre wrote in an email: “I can confirm receipt of the letter but decline to comment further.”
‘Never-before-seen’ photos of Epstein’s island
The letter to Bondi comes after Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released “never-before-seen” photos and videos of Epstein’s residence on Little Saint James, a diminutive private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The committee has requested that the photos be released to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice as part of lawmakers’ ongoing investigation into Epstein’s activities.
“These new photos provide a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island. We are releasing these photos and videos to provide public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes. We will not stop fighting until we bring justice to the survivors,” committee ranking member Robert Garcia said in a statement.
Some files are made publicly available in the cloud folderinclude photos of furnished bedrooms, bathrooms, a room with masks on the wall and what appears to be a dental examination chair, a phone with a list of names on speed dial, some redacted, and a board of notes, some redacted, containing words that appear to be the words “power” and “fraud.”
The videos show a vast complicated with an underground swimming pool and a winding stone walkway leading to the sea, as well as low clips of bedrooms and at least one first aid kit.
The Republican-led committee’s investigation began in August and is separate from the fresh law requiring the Department of Justice to disclose evidence.
As of Wednesday afternoon, committee Republicans had not issued a press release regarding Democrats’ release of the photos and videos.
The Democratic committee released its picks last month emails provided by Epstein’s estate. Within hours, committee Republicans released a trove of 23,000 pages of correspondence.
The committee, chaired by Republican Rep. James Comer, issued several subpoenas, including one to the Justice Department for all records of the Epstein investigation. Others include subpoena interview Epstein co-conspirator and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and several former attorneys general.
According to the FBI, Epstein had over 1,000 victims.
Epstein, a former hedge fund manager who claimed to only manage the assets of billionaires, pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting sex from minors and soliciting prostitution.
He avoided federal investigation when then-U.S. attorney in Miami, Alex Acosta, broke a plea deal with Florida prosecutors.
Acosta later became Trump’s labor secretary in 2017.
