Epstein files released: Documents cite Ayurveda, massages, political storm grows

The US Department of Justice on Friday published thousands of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , a disclosure long awaited for its potential to reveal new details about the late financier’s crimes and his connections to powerful individuals. However, it quickly became apparent that the release fell far short of public and political expectations, triggering criticism from Democrats and transparency advocates.

The partial disclosure angered opposition lawmakers, who accused the Trump administration of withholding information, while the Justice Department acknowledged that the document dump was incomplete and said further records would be released in the coming weeks. The files were made public under the Epstein Files Transparency Act , signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19 after months of political pressure.

The initial release, dominated by photographs , along with call logs, court records and other documents , many heavily redacted, follows years of sustained public demand for transparency around the government’s handling of Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing and trafficking dozens of underage girls.

Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years before the two had a falling out, had resisted releasing the files , arguing there was nothing new to see and that the issue distracted from his administration’s priorities. Although Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, the relationship has remained politically controversial.

The White House defended Friday’s release, calling it evidence that the Trump administration is the “most transparent in history.”

The law mandated that most Epstein-related records be released by Friday. Ahead of the deadline, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that “several hundred thousand” files would be released immediately, with hundreds of thousands more to follow.

Instead, the Justice Department website featured around 4,000 files , most of them photographs, grouped under a category labelled “DOJ Disclosures.” Blanche later acknowledged in a letter to Congress that the production was far from complete , saying the department expects to finish releasing records by the end of the year.

Most of the photographs were taken by the FBI during searches of Epstein’s homes in New York City and the US Virgin Islands. They include images of envelopes, folders and boxes containing investigative material. Records containing victims’ personally identifiable information including material depicting sexual abuse were not authorised for release.

Some of the documents released Friday, including court filings and public records, have already circulated in the public domain after years of litigation and investigative reporting.

Among the exhibits are documents referencing “massage techniques” and Ayurveda , the ancient Indian system of natural healing. One document states that “many practitioners in the West are now offering massage and other treatments based upon this 5,000-year-old system of natural healing from India.”

Another includes material titled “The Art of Giving Massage,” which mentions the use of sesame oil for detoxification . The files provide no context for why these materials were included in the investigative record and do not imply wrongdoing related to Ayurveda itself.

Many of the most widely discussed images from the release involve former US President Bill Clinton , who has acknowledged travelling on Epstein’s private jet but has said he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.

The photos show Clinton aboard a private plane, including one with a woman whose face is redacted sitting on his lap. Other images show him in a swimming pool with Ghislaine Maxwell Epstein’s longtime confidant, later convicted of recruiting underage girls and another redacted individual. One photograph shows Clinton with Michael Jackson , singer Diana Ross , and a woman whose face is obscured. Another depicts Clinton in a hot tub with a redacted individual.

The Justice Department did not explain how the photographs relate to the criminal investigation. Nonetheless, senior White House aides highlighted them on social media. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reacted to one image with a post reading “Oh my!” accompanied by a shocked emoji.

Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña rejected the focus on the former president, saying, “This isn’t about Bill Clinton,” and accused the White House of trying to shield others. “There are two types of people here,” he said. “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.”

Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, and officials have stressed that inclusion in the files does not imply misconduct.

Some of the most notable aspects of the release were who appeared scarcely or not at all . Trump is referenced only minimally, and the few photos showing him appear to have been publicly available for decades.

The files include at least one photograph of Britain’s Prince Andrew , appearing in formalwear lying across the laps of several women. Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre had alleged that Epstein arranged sexual encounters for her with the prince, an allegation Prince Andrew has denied.

Survivors expressed frustration over the redactions and limited scope of the release. Marina Lacerda , who says she was abused by Epstein beginning at age 14, called on the Justice Department to provide fuller transparency. “Just put out the files,” she said. “And stop redacting names that don’t need to be redacted.”

Several lawmakers criticised the Trump administration for failing to comply fully with the law. Reps. Ro Khanna , a Democrat, and Thomas Massie , a Republican who spearheaded the effort that forced the vote on the transparency law both condemned the partial release.

Massie said it “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law,” while Khanna called the disclosure “disappointing,” adding, “We’re going to push for the actual documents.”

Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon said missing the deadline denied justice to Epstein’s victims and said he was exploring legal options to compel compliance.

Democratic lawmakers could seek court intervention, though such a process would likely take months. Separately, the House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena for the Epstein files, opening another potential path to force disclosure though it would require Republican support to pursue contempt proceedings against a Republican administration.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death, combined with the limited scope of the initial document release, has ensured that scrutiny of the Epstein case and demands for full transparency remain far from over.