Over 300 high-profile names
The list is a who’s who of politics, royalty, and entertainment. It includes Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Barack and Michelle Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Princess Diana, Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as stars like Barbara Streisand, Amy Schumer, Bruce Springsteen, Kim Kardashian, Bill Cosby, and Robert De Niro. Even deceased icons Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley were included.
Bondi and her deputy, Todd Blanche, noted that names appeared in a range of contexts — from extensive email contact with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to mere mentions in documents or news articles.
“The only category of records withheld were those records where permitted withholdings under Section 2(c) and privileged materials were not segregable from material responsive under Section 2(a),” the letter explained. Privileges included deliberative-process, work-product, and attorney-client protections.
Lawmakers push for more transparency
Despite the announcement, some lawmakers argue the release does not go far enough. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who co-wrote the Epstein Files Transparency Act, called on the DOJ to release internal memos explaining decisions not to prosecute Epstein or his associates.
“The problem with that is the bill that Ro Khanna and I wrote says that they must release internal memos and notes and emails about their decisions on whether to prosecute or not prosecute, whether to investigate or not investigate,” Massie told ABC’s This Week.
California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna added criticism, accusing the DOJ of “purposefully muddying the waters on who was a predator and who was mentioned in an email.”
He highlighted the absurdity of placing names like Janis Joplin—who died when Epstein was 17 —on the same list as convicted abusers like Larry Nassar, without context.
“Release the full files,” Khanna urged on X “Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivor’s names.”
Concerns over victim privacy
Lawyers representing Epstein’s victims also raised alarms. They noted that some released files included email addresses and nude photos that could identify victims. The DOJ acknowledged these were due to “technical or human error” and removed the flagged files.
The full release marks a major milestone in public transparency around Epstein’s global network, exposing hundreds of names and connections while leaving critical questions unanswered. With lawmakers and advocates calling for further disclosure, the conversation around accountability and transparency is far from over.
“In accordance with the requirements of the Act… the Department released all ‘records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the possession of the Department’ that ‘relate to’ any of nine different categories,” Bondi and Blanche wrote.