Rerun

promise

The recurring promise to release the Epstein files

You're probably here because of the Aug 2026 rerun. This is the 10th time since 2024 this has been promised. The previous rerun was Apr 2026.

About this story

From 2024 on, candidates and officials repeatedly said they would release, or were releasing, the federal government's Epstein files. In June 2024 candidate Trump told Fox News he would declassify them, though the unedited answer was more hedged. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in February 2025 that the "client list" was on her desk, but a July 2025 DOJ/FBI memo said no client list existed and no further disclosure was warranted. Congress then passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025. The Justice Department says it has put out about 3.5 million pages, while lawmakers say millions more are being withheld or over-redacted.

Sources: 1, 2

20162026

Aug 2026 – Sep 2026 "Epstein Files Transparency Act II" discharge petition and midterm pledges

Massie's statement in Khanna's Aug. 5, 2026 press release says the Epstein Files Transparency Act became law on Nov. 19, 2025, and that the Justice Department "continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files." The sponsors introduced a second bill, H.R. 9694. It would let state attorneys general, victims and members of Congress sue to force compliance with the first law. On Aug. 31, Massie filed Discharge Petition No. 27 (Clerk record); Spectrum News reported he was seeking signatures to force a House vote on the bill. On Sept. 17, Massie announced that four Republicans, including him, had signed the petition (Washington Examiner). The Clerk record shows 216 signatures, 212 Democrats and 4 Republicans, with Mace, Norman and Fitzpatrick as the other Republican signers. The Washington Examiner reported on Sept. 25 that any vote would come only after the November elections. What had been delivered by then: the Justice Department had released some files, but the sponsors said millions were still withheld or heavily redacted. Spectrum News reported that Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the department's compliance in July while admitting some mistakes.

  • Washington Examiner article
    announced Thursday that four Republicans, including him, have signed the Epstein Files II discharge petition and expressed confidence it will pass
  • spectrumnews1.com article
    It's been a year since the president signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and the government continues to withhold over three million files
  • khanna.house.gov statement
    The Department of Justice continues to unlawfully withhold over 3 million Epstein files that should be released to the public.
  • youtube.com video

Sources: clerk.house.gov needs a second source · spectrumnews1.com needs a second source · Washington Examiner needs a second source · khanna.house.gov needs a second source · Washington Examiner needs a second source

Apr 2026 – May 2026 Bondi fired; later testimony

In February 2025, Bondi told Fox News that Epstein's client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review" and called releasing the files a "directive by President Trump." In July 2025, a joint Justice Department and FBI memo said "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted" (ABC). After the Epstein Files Transparency Act became law, Bondi said in February 2026 that the department had released more than 3 million pages, including 180,000 images (NPR). Trump removed her on April 2, 2026, after media reports cited his unhappiness with how she handled the Epstein files (Al Jazeera, ABC). On May 29 she told House Oversight that, to the best of her knowledge, the department had produced everything the Act required. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee's top Democrat, questioned "why only 50% of the files have been released" (NPR).

  • ABC News article
    We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future
  • ABC News article
    To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
  • NPR article
    delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
  • youtube.com video
    important new job in the private s…

Sources: ABC News reliable · NPR reliable · Al Jazeera reliable · Public Broadcasting Service reliable

Feb 2026 Redaction dispute and Bondi's "all files released" letter

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, co-sponsored by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, was signed by President Trump in November 2025. It required the Justice Department to release almost all of its Epstein investigative files. By early February 2026 the department had released millions of documents. On Feb. 9–10, Massie and Khanna said they had found six men's names that the department had blacked out, and the department then partially un-redacted the files; Deputy AG Todd Blanche said several of the men were "completely random" and had no Epstein connection (CBS). In a Feb. 14 letter to the House and Senate Judiciary Committee leaders, Bondi and Blanche said the department had released "all" files covered by the Act. Khanna called for the "full files," and Massie said internal memos on charging decisions were still being withheld.

  • cbsnews.com article
    And if we found six men that they were hiding in two hours, imagine how many men they are covering up for in those 3 million files,
  • Fox News article
    Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a letter on Saturday that "all" Epstein files have been released consistent with Section 3 of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
  • Yahoo News article
    "Release the full files," he added. "Stop protecting predators. Redact only the survivor's names."
  • youtube.com video

Sources: cbsnews.com reliable · Fox News needs a second source · Yahoo News reliable

Jan 2026 – Feb 2026 The 3-million-page release, which the DOJ called the end of its review

On January 30, 2026, the DOJ said it had published more than 3 million more pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, plus more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. It said that brought the total to "nearly 3.5 million pages." President Trump signed the Act on November 19, 2025, and the DOJ missed the law's December 19 deadline. At the news conference, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the release "marks the end" of the DOJ's review. On February 1, he said the review was "over," except for a "small number of [additional] documents" a judge might approve. Rep. Ro Khanna, a co-sponsor of the law, pointed out that the DOJ had found more than 6 million possibly relevant pages but released only about 3.5 million. A group of survivors said the DOJ "cannot claim it is finished releasing files" until every document the law requires is out.

  • justice.gov statement
    Combined with prior releases, this makes the total production nearly 3.5 million pages released in compliance with the Act.
  • Al Jazeera article
    Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act,
  • ABC News article
    This review is, is over.
  • c-span.org video Watch

Sources: justice.gov needs a second source · Al Jazeera reliable · ABC News reliable · NPR reliable

Dec 2025 Deadline release, redactions and "over a million more" documents

On the campaign trail, Trump vowed to make public information about Epstein's crimes that he said the government was covering up (NPR). He later signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which gave AG Pam Bondi 30 days to publish all unclassified Epstein records (NPR). On the Dec. 19 deadline, Deputy AG Todd Blanche promised "several hundred thousand" documents that day and "several hundred thousand more" over the next couple of weeks (CBS). NBC reported he expected all the files to be online by Jan. 2. The DOJ's first release included many previously public documents and heavy redactions (NPR), and ABC reported that through Dec. 23 the department had released more than 30,000 pages in total. It then said over a million more documents had been found and releasing them "may take a few more weeks" (ABC).

  • cbsnews.com article
    means that the Department must publicly produce responsive documents on a rolling basis
  • NPR article
    including many that have already been made public from prior disclosures
  • ABC News article
    uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.

Sources: NPR reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · ABC News reliable · NBC News reliable

Nov 2025 Trump reverses position; the Epstein Files Transparency Act becomes law

As a candidate in June 2024, Trump was asked whether he would declassify the Epstein files and said, "Yeah, yeah, I would." In 2025 he called the issue a Democratic "hoax" and opposed the House effort to force a release (PolitiFact, CBS). On Nov. 16, 2025, he posted that House Republicans "should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide." On Nov. 17 he said he would sign the bill: "I'm all for it" (CBS, ABC). The House passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act 427–1 on Nov. 18, and Trump signed it on Nov. 19, directing the DOJ to release its unclassified Epstein records (ABC, The Hill). What had been delivered by then was a February 2025 "first phase" release by Attorney General Bondi, which PolitiFact says "largely consisted of documents that had already been made public." The new law required the rest within 30 days.

  • truthsocial.com social post
    House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide
  • ABC News article
    It passed 427-1 -- with GOP Rep. Clay Higgins as the only vote against the measure.
  • The Hill article
    President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law
  • youtube.com video

Sources: cbsnews.com reliable · ABC News reliable · PolitiFact reliable · The Hill reliable

Sep 2025 House Oversight releases DOJ Epstein records; survivors rally at the Capitol

On Sept. 2, 2025, the Republican-led House Oversight Committee released 33,295 pages of Epstein-related records it had received from the Justice Department, which it had subpoenaed on Aug. 5; the committee said the DOJ "has indicated it will continue producing those records." PBS NewsHour reported that most, if not all, of the text documents had already been public, and the committee's top Democrat, Rep. Robert Garcia, called them "already mostly public information." Speaker Mike Johnson pressed for the inquiry to be handled by the House Oversight Committee and urged Republicans not to support the Massie–Khanna discharge petition, saying it "does not adequately protect the innocent victims" (PBS; ABC). On Sept. 3, survivors joined Massie and Khanna at the Capitol to push for a House vote that would require the DOJ to release its files. NPR noted that Trump had called for releasing more files during the campaign, and that a DOJ memo in July said there was no evidence of an Epstein "client list." Delivered by then: about 33,000 pages through Congress, mostly already public.

  • oversight.house.gov statement
    released 33,295 pages of Epstein-related records that were provided by the U.S. Department of Justice
  • ABC News article
    This is not a hoax. It's not going to go away,
  • Public Broadcasting Service article
    The 33,000 pages of Epstein documents James Comer has decided to 'release' were already mostly public information.
  • c-span.org video Watch

Sources: oversight.house.gov needs a second source · Public Broadcasting Service reliable · ABC News reliable · NPR reliable

Jul 2025 DOJ/FBI memo finds no "client list"; Trump directs grand jury unsealing request

Attorney General Pam Bondi had promised to release files from the Epstein investigation. In February 2025 she told Fox News a client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review." She later said she meant the Epstein files in general. That month the department gave binders labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1" to right-wing influencers, who said many of the materials were already public (CBS). An unsigned two-page DOJ/FBI memo, reported July 6–7, 2025, found no incriminating "client list." It said "no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted" (NPR). After the Journal's July 17 report on a birthday letter bearing Trump's name, Trump wrote that he had asked Bondi to produce "any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval." On July 18, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche asked courts to unseal grand jury transcripts in the Epstein and Maxwell cases (CBS, AP). Delivered by then: the February binders, the memo, and two versions of a nearly 11-hour jail video released with it (NBC). No grand jury material had been unsealed, and a judge had to approve any release (CBS, AP).

  • NPR article
    it is the determination of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted
  • NBC News article
    We were told multiple times the files would be released, and now it looks like backroom deals have been made to keep them hidden
  • cbsnews.com article
    I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Jury testimony, subject to Court approval
  • youtube.com video

Sources: NPR reliable · NBC News reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · cbsnews.com reliable · Public Broadcasting Service reliable

Feb 2025 – Mar 2025 "Sitting on my desk" and the "Phase 1" binders

On Feb 21, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News's "America Reports" that the Epstein client list was "sitting on my desk right now to review." She said, "That's been a directive by President Trump," and said she had not yet seen anything in it. On Feb 26 she told Fox News the Justice Department would release "a lot of flight logs, a lot of names, a lot of information." On Feb 27 the department released a "first phase" that it said "largely contains documents that have been previously leaked." NPR counted 10 documents, including flight logs and a heavily redacted contact book and masseuse list; the department's release page also listed an "Evidence List." The department also said it planned to release the remaining documents after review and redaction.

  • Fox News article
    It's sitting on my desk right now to review,
  • justice.gov statement
    The first phase of declassified files largely contains documents that have been previously leaked but never released in a formal capacity by the U.S. Government.
  • Time article
    Some of them held up the binders to the cameras, which showed that they were labeled "The Epstein Files: Phase 1."
  • youtube.com video
    sitting on my desk right now to review

Sources: Fox News needs a second source · NPR reliable · ABC News reliable · Time reliable

Jun 2024 Trump says he would declassify the Epstein files (2024 campaign)

On June 2, 2024, during an interview that aired on Fox's "Fox & Friends," co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy asked then-candidate Donald Trump, "Would you declassify the Epstein files?" He answered, "Yeah, yeah, I would." His campaign's Trump War Room account shared the clip with a caption saying he would declassify the "Epstein Files." The broadcast ended after his first words. In the full answer, which aired later on Will Cain's Fox News radio show, he added that "you don't want to affect people's lives if it's phony stuff in there." In a September 2024 Lex Fridman podcast he said he'd "be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it." Separately, the federal government had already released records of its investigation into Epstein's death (Semafor).

  • semafor.com article
    Fox News edited an interview with Donald Trump to remove a section in which he appeared to back off a promise to declassify federal files
  • x.com social post
    President Trump says he will DECLASSIFY the 9/11 Files, JFK Files, and Epstein Files.
  • lexfridman.com broadcast
    I'd be inclined to do the Epstein. I'd have no problem with it.

Sources: ABC News reliable · semafor.com needs a second source · PolitiFact reliable · kwtx.com needs a second source