Who's Afraid of the Epstein Files?

"Over the weekend, it seemed that months of Trump administration stonewalling of the release of the trove of federal documents behind the prosecution of notorious pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein came to a close."

"But if they are released to the public, the cache of documents relating to Epstein's prosecution promises to upend the steadied, jealously guarded silence of the many bad actors in Epstein's orbit in a way just hinted at in the 20,000 emails that House Oversight Committee released last week. Those documents were the property of Epstein's estate, after the disgraced financier allegedly killed himself in custody, and didn't figure into the legal case against him."

"The materials in what are now known as the Epstein Files, by contrast, directly targeted Epstein's wide trafficking network, and the many powerful, wealthy, and influential men involved in it; the Justice Department reports that it makes up some 300 gigabytes of physical and digital evidence, including graphic documentation of the sexual victimization of underage girls at the hands of Epstein and his colleagues and cronies."

A potential release of the Epstein Files followed a Truth Social post in which Trump signaled support for the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Congressional action and a possible Senate vote remain uncertain, and Trump could still create legal pretexts to block release by citing an ongoing investigation. The Epstein Files reportedly comprise roughly 300 gigabytes of physical and digital evidence directly targeting Epstein's trafficking network and many powerful men, and include graphic documentation of underage sexual victimization. Earlier releases of 20,000 emails hinted at the broader network, while the Files could dramatically expand public knowledge of elite involvement.

Read at The Nation