Epstein files: Who and what are in the documents?

The US justice department has released an initial tranche of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents, which include photos, videos and investigative documents, were highly anticipated after Congress passed a law mandating the files be released in their entirety by Friday.

However, Democrats and some Republicans accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of violating its legal obligations after it said it would not be able to release all the documents by the deadline. Many details in the thousands of files have also been heavily redacted.

A number of famous faces are included in the first batch of files, including former US President Bill Clinton, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and musicians Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.

Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing. Many of those identified in the files or in previous releases related to Epstein have denied any wrongdoing.

Several of the images released include former US President Bill Clinton.

One picture shows him swimming in a pool, and another shows him lying on his back with his hands behind his head in what appears to be a hot tub.

Clinton was photographed with Epstein several times over the 1990s and early 2000s, before the disgraced financier was first arrested. He has never been accused of wrongdoing by survivors of Epstein’s abuse, and has denied knowledge of his sex offending.

A spokesperson for Clinton commented on the new photos, saying they were decades old.

“They can release as many grainy 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be,” Angel Ureña wrote on social media.

“There are two types of people here. The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after.

“We’re in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.

“Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”

The US president is also mentioned in the tranche of files released by the justice department.

Court documents detail that Epstein allegedly introduced a 14-year-old girl to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

During the alleged encounter in the 1990s, Epstein elbowed Trump and “playfully asked him”, in reference to the girl, “this is a good one, right?”, the document says.

Trump smiled and nodded in agreement, according to the lawsuit filed against Epstein’s estate and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2020.

The document says that “they both chuckled” and the girl felt uncomfortable, but “at the time, was too young to understand why”.

The victim alleges she was groomed and abused by Epstein over many years.

In the court filing, she makes no accusations against Trump.

The BBC has contacted the White House for comment.

The alleged episode is one of very few mentions of the president in the thousands of files released on Friday. He can be seen in several photos but his inclusion is minimal at best.

The Trump War Room, the official X account for the president’s political operation, instead posted photographs of Clinton after the release.

Trump’s press secretary also re-posted images of Clinton, saying “Oh my!”

However, there are still pages to be released.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has said that “several hundred thousand” pages of documents are still being reviewed and have yet to be made public.

The US president has previously said he was a friend of Epstein’s for years, but said they fell out in about 2004, years before Epstein was first arrested.

Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

A photo in the released files appears to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lying across five people, whose faces are redacted.

Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell is seen in the image standing behind them.

Andrew has faced years of scrutiny over his past friendship with Epstein, who does not appear in the photo.

He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, and said he did not “see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction”.

The newly released documents include the widest assortment of celebrities we’ve seen in an Epstein file release so far.

The former financier was known for having connections across entertainment, politics and business.

Some images released by the DOJ show him with stars that include Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger and Diana Ross.

It is unclear where or when any of the photos were taken, or in what context. It’s also unclear if Epstein was associated with all of these figures or whether he attended these events. Previously released photos from Epstein’s estate have included photos that he did not take, from events where he was not in attendance.

In one of the newly released photos, Epstein is photographed with Michael Jackson. The pop idol is wearing a suit and Epstein is seen in a zip-up hoodie.

Another image of Jackson shows him with former US President Bill Clinton and Diana Ross. They are posing together in a small area and multiple other faces are redacted from the image.

Another photo in the thousands of files shows Rolling Stones legend Jagger posing for a photo with Clinton and a woman whose face is redacted. They are all in cocktail attire.

Several photos include the actor Chris Tucker. One shows him posing and seated next to Clinton at a dining table. Another shows him on aeroplane tarmac with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of Epstein.

The BBC has contacted Jagger, Tucker and Ross for comment. Clinton has previously denied knowledge of Epstein’s sex offending and a spokesperson on Friday said they were decades-old photos.

“This isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be,” the spokesperson said.

Another photo included in yesterday’s document release shows Ghislaine Maxwell posing in front of 10 Downing Street.

She is alone, and there is no context provided with the photo about why she is there or when the image was taken.

We do not know who was prime minister at the time the photo was taken, or in what capacity Maxwell was visiting Downing Street.

One of the first people to report Epstein is included in the files.

Maria Farmer, an artist who worked for Epstein, told the FBI in a 1996 report that he had stolen personal photos she took of her 12-year-old and 16-year-old sisters.

She said in a complaint that she believed he sold the photos to potential buyers, and said he threatened to burn her house down if she told anyone about it.

Her name is redacted in the files but Farmer confirmed the account was hers.

She notes in the report that Epstein had allegedly asked her to take pictures for him of young girls at swimming pools.

“Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down,” the report states.

Farmer said she feels vindicated after nearly 30 years.

“I feel redeemed,” she said.

Among the documents released on Friday are many that are redacted, including police statements, investigative reports and photos.

More than 550 pages of the files released on Friday were fully redacted, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner. These include a document related to a grand jury investigation where 100 pages were entirely blacked out.

Officials, as outlined in the law, were allowed to redact materials to protect the identity of victims, or anything related to an active criminal investigation, but they were required by law to explain such redactions, which has not yet been done.

The thousands of pages released on Friday are only a share of what is to come, according to the justice department.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the department was releasing “several hundred thousand pages” on Friday and that he expected “several hundred thousand more” to be released over the coming weeks.

He told Fox & Friends that the department was heavily vetting each page of material to ensure “every victim – their name, their identity, their story, to the extent that it needs to be protected – is completely protected”. That is a process, he argued, that takes time.

The timing of when additional materials will be released is unclear, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed frustration.

Democrats including Congressman Ro Khanna have threatened action against members of the justice department, including impeachment or possible prosecution over the delay.

Khanna led with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, defying US President Donald Trump who at first urged his party to vote against the measure.

“The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law,” he said on social media, adding in a video that all options were on the table and were being mulled over by him and Massie.