Archive of Darkness: The USA has released thousands of documents on the Jeffrey Epstein case

On December 19, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice released a trove of more than 13,000 documents related to the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The publication includes photographs, collages, scans of materials, police testimonies, and investigation reports — one of the most extensive packages on the case, which continues to raise questions even years later.

What exactly was revealed

The materials collected over decades of investigations are discussed. A significant portion of the files had already appeared in courts or leaks earlier, but now they are compiled into a single archive. A substantial share of the documents underwent heavy redaction: some pages are completely blacked out, and 631 images were removed from the publication due to content involving sexualized violence against children.

Crimes and the end of Epstein

Epstein was detained on charges of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors. The investigation claimed that he systematically used girls and “passed” them to influential acquaintances. In 2008, he was already convicted of organizing prostitution and, after making a deal with the investigation, spent 13 months in prison. In July 2019, Epstein was arrested again; soon after, he committed suicide in a New York prison cell. The circumstances of his death remain a subject of debate.

Why the documents are redacted

The U.S. Department of Justice emphasizes that redaction is necessary to protect the victims and their relatives — according to the agency, there are more than 1,200 victims. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche reported that over 200 lawyers worked on preparing the publication, balancing transparency and safety.

Names that attracted attention

Among the published photographs and mentions are Prince Andrew, Mick Jagger, Michael Jackson, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton. The presence of images does not imply the involvement of these individuals in the crimes. In particular, victims have not made accusations against Clinton; he has repeatedly denied knowing about Epstein’s criminal activities.

Mentions of Donald Trump

Donald Trump is also mentioned in the materials. The documents describe an episode of meeting a 14-year-old girl at the Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where Epstein jokingly introduced her as “good.” This information provokes sharp discussions, but it does not have legal qualification within the published package.

Early warning signal

Particular attention was drawn to a 1996 complaint to the FBI. Epstein’s employee Maria Farmer claimed that he preyed on children and stole photographic materials depicting her younger sisters. This document underscores that warnings existed long before the high-profile arrests.

Criticism and the question of transparency

The incompleteness of the publication caused dissatisfaction among both victims and lawmakers. Congressman Thomas Massie stated that the disclosure does not meet the requirements of the transparency law passed a month earlier. In response, the agency insists that the limits of disclosure are dictated by the protection of the victims.

Additional findings

The U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee separately published 60 photos of Epstein’s foreign passports, including a Ukrainian one. The archive also contains materials indicating his contacts with Noam Chomsky and Bill Gates, as well as correspondence about “selecting girls” with indications of rewards and geography of movements. There are also photographs with fragments of texts by Vladimir Nabokov — a detail that enhances the grim context of the case.

What this changes now

The publication does not close questions — it multiplies them. The archive demonstrates the scale of abuses, the systematic nature of warning signals, and the limits of institutional responsibility. For society, this is not so much an end as another stage in understanding how such crimes could remain without proper response for years.

It is precisely such stories — complex, heavy, and requiring attention to detail — that NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency continues to document.