WASHINGTON — At least nine investigations have begun in eight countries and within the European Union’s anti-fraud unit following the US Department of Justice’s release of millions of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In the US, not so much.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case is still open. But according to a Justice Department and FBI memo last year, the department “completely reviewed” material related to Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on child sex trafficking charges and died in federal custody in what was ruled a suicide. There was no incriminating “customer list” evidence or evidence that would lead to further prosecution of third parties, the memo said. Officials of the Department of Justice said that they complied with the law and did everything that was required of them.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche recently put it bluntly: The review is over.
But the publication of more than 3.5 million documents has sparked a global backlash, including the arrest in the UK of both former Prince Andrew and Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, on suspicion of misconduct in office. The former prime minister of Norway has been charged with the most serious corruption. All deny the allegations, which were not connected to the sexual assault charges against Epstein but were brought to light because of their presence in the files.
And the investigation raises questions about why the Trump administration isn’t doing more.
“Right now, the administration has no interest in pursuing this, while foreign governments, or foreign authorities, for whatever reasons, do,” said Mimi Rocah, a former New York federal prosecutor and former Westchester County district attorney.
There are obstacles to any new investigation. While there is no federal statute of limitations for child sexual abuse or sex trafficking, there are limitations on when a person can be charged with most federal crimes in the US, usually between five and 10 years. And the allegations or details revealed in the Epstein documents may be positive or troubling, but they may not rise to the level of chargeable criminal conduct. Overseas laws are different; the UK, for example, has no statute of limitations for crimes tried by a jury.
But legal experts and survivors of Epstein’s abuse say there is still more the Justice Department could reveal. There are still other documents that have not been made public and others appear to be missing, including 54 pages of summaries and notes from three FBI interviews with a woman who also accused Donald Trump. He denied doing anything wrong. After the files were flagged by the media, Justice Department officials said they would review them to see if any should be released.
“As with all documents flagged by the public, the Department is currently reviewing the files in that product category,” the DOJ said in a statement on X.
The release of the files under the federal law signed by Trump was a major departure from normal Justice Department procedures; it has never been possible for this list of investigation details to be made public. Congress also forced the Epstein estate to release documents related to his business and personal dealings.
The trove of documents continues to paint a picture of the vast network that perpetrated Epstein’s abuse, from financial institutions to doctors’ offices. A lot of rich and powerful people appear in the files but they said they didn’t know what he was up to; at least 20 left their jobs or were fired as a result.
Allegations against Epstein began in Florida in 2005, after the parents of a 14-year-old girl said he paid her for massages. In 2007, the number is 60 federal a case was filed. But in 2008, Epstein made a plea deal to lesser charges and received an 18-month sentence.
The much-criticized agreement included a non-prosecution agreement that meant the case against Epstein and potential co-conspirators was dismissed. The victims were not informed of the decision of the case before it was signed.
He was later investigated by federal prosecutors in New York for years and was facing multiple charges at the time of his death. His friend Ghislane Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and other charges in 2021.
No one else has been charged with a crime.
“If they were able to commit a heinous crime, what else could they have done, why don’t we go after this money, why don’t we take other steps?” asked Sky Roberts, the brother of Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the first and loudest voices calling Epstein and his supporters criminal charges. Giuffre was the first to make claims against former Prince Andrew, which he denied. He died by suicide last year.
“We have to open an investigation, and we have to subpoena their flight records. They have to subpoena their bank account records and start putting them together, and we’ll see what’s there,” Roberts said.
The alteration of tens of thousands of names and locations in the files makes it difficult to determine who may have been involved in approving Epstein.
“The Justice Department’s job is to follow the facts and follow the law, not to protect anyone, whether it’s rich men, whether it’s well-connected men, it doesn’t matter,” said Joyce Vance, a former federal prosecutor. “‘Without fear or favor.’ It’s not just words. That’s the job. And it’s not done here. The victims, the survivors, deserve better than what they are getting from this Department of Justice.”
At least one criminal investigation has been opened in the US, in New Mexico, into alleged crimes at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.
New Mexico officials say they want immediate access to unredacted files. UK officials have also said they are working with law enforcement agencies overseas to assist in their investigation.
New investigations have been launched across Europe focusing on people who were linked to Epstein or wanted in trafficking or financial networks, or both.
Torbjørn Jagland, who was prime minister of Norway in the 1990s and led the Nobel Committee and the Council of Europe, was charged in February following a search of his home in connection with the disclosure of the Epstein file. Authorities are also considering possible links with files that include Britain, France, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey and Slovakia. The European Union’s anti-fraud office is investigating Mandelson.
During a congressional hearing earlier this month, Bondi said there was still an investigation related to Epstein, although it was not clear who he was referring to. Last year, Bondi’s office quickly agreed when Trump used his social media to ask the Justice Department to investigate Democrats about their meeting with Epstein.
Blanche, during a news conference about the release of the documents, said there is “propaganda where, oh, you know, the Justice Department should protect Donald J. Trump,” but she said the DOJ is “always concerned about the victims.”
For survivors, their best shot at accountability may come from Congress. Even with Republicans in power, Congress has led an effort to keep the investigation alive; passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which led to the release of the files, and held a deposition with a number of prominent people connected to them, including Hillary Clinton, and on Friday, Bill Clinton.
But Republican leadership has stopped short of demanding further criminal investigations or other documents.
Democrats have promised to step up investigative efforts if they regain a majority in Congress, giving them powers of inquiry that will allow them to compel witness interviews, gather documents and conduct thorough investigations.
Although Congress does not have the power to prosecute, lawmakers can refer crimes to law enforcement agencies and make their findings public.
“When the DOJ says there is nothing to investigate, we, the American people, must stand up,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. “With the words of the survivors echoing in the darkness of all this horror that has brought us so far, and speaking to many of them I also know that this effort is not theirs alone.”
Congress also has the power to change the law; Democrats recently introduced “Virginia’s Law” named in honor of Giuffre, who was one of the first Epstein survivors to come forward. The law removes the statute of limitations on civil claims for adult survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking.
Marina Lacerda, who was called “little abuser 1” in court documents and who publicly shared her experience of abuse, called for full transparency and said it was up to everyone to stop the cycle of abuse revealed in the files.
“What are we doing as Americans?” He asked. “Because we have to take this seriously.”
