In a landmark moment of public disclosure, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) began releasing a massive cache of records related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, December 19, 2025. The release, mandated by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, features thousands of pages of documents and photographs, including previously unseen images of former President Bill Clinton and the late pop icon Michael Jackson.
Unseen Photos of High-Profile Figures
The first batch of files—part of a dataset expected to reach hundreds of thousands of pages—includes startling visual evidence of Epstein’s social reach. Notable highlights from the release include:
- Bill Clinton: Multiple photographs show the former president in various social settings with Epstein. One image depicts Clinton in a hot tub, while another shows him in a swimming pool alongside Epstein’s convicted accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Other photos show him at formal events with celebrities like Mick Jagger.
- Michael Jackson: The "King of Pop" appears in photos alongside Epstein and Clinton. In one particular image, Jackson is seen standing with Epstein in front of a painting of a nude woman.
- Other Notable Names: The files also contain images and mentions of Prince Andrew, Bill Gates, Noam Chomsky, and Sergey Brin.
The "Transparency Act" and Massive Redactions
The disclosure follows months of political maneuvering and the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which received nearly unanimous bipartisan support in Congress. Despite the law's intent to provide full clarity, the initial release has been met with criticism from lawmakers like Rep. Ro Khanna and Senator Chuck Schumer for being "heavily redacted."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the redactions were necessary to protect the identities of victims and to avoid jeopardizing active federal investigations.
"This isn't about Bill Clinton," a spokesperson for the former president stated, dismissing the photos as decades-old social snapshots and emphasizing that Clinton "knew nothing" of Epstein's crimes and cut ties long before they came to light.
What’s Next in the Release?
This "first phase" release is only the beginning. The DOJ is under a strict 30-day deadline to publish all unclassified investigative materials, including flight logs, grand jury exhibits, and internal communications from the 2006 and 2019 investigations.
While the appearance of individuals in these files is not proof of criminal wrongdoing, the sheer volume of material is expected to ignite fresh scrutiny into how Epstein maintained his high-society network for decades.
