Democrats on the US House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee have released a second batch of photographs from the estate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, publishing more than 70 additional images just hours after an initial release of 19 photos.
The newly released images are part of a larger collection of roughly 95,000 photographs that the committee says it is currently reviewing. Democratic lawmakers describe the release as a transparency measure, though Republicans and the White House have accused them of selectively publishing material to advance a political narrative.
The first batch of 19 photos included images of high-profile figures such as US President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon. The second release largely consists of images showing Epstein’s resort on the US Virgin Islands and was published with limited contextual information.
Committee officials have stressed that the photographs do not imply wrongdoing by anyone depicted. Many of those whose images appear have previously denied any improper conduct in connection with Epstein.
The Oversight Committee has said it is still reviewing the full archive, with Democratic Representative Robert Garcia warning earlier that some of the material is “disturbing.” The senior Democrat on the committee said it would take “days and weeks” to examine all of the images.
Republicans on the committee, now led by the GOP, accused Democrats of “cherry-picking photos and making targeted redactions to create a false narrative about President Trump.” The White House echoed that criticism, condemning the releases as misleading.
The photographs are separate from the so-called “Epstein files” held by the US Department of Justice, which is required to release all related records by 19 December. The latest disclosures have renewed attention on that deadline and on the broader scrutiny of Epstein’s associates and activities.
Among those appearing in the latest images are Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, actor and director Woody Allen, economist Larry Summers, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Bill Gates, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Not all are pictured with Epstein, and some images have circulated publicly before. The BBC has contacted those named for comment.
[caption id="attachment_1147111" align="alignnone" width="2034"]
The birthday letter that Democrats allege was sent by Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein. Trump has denied writing the letter.[/caption]
