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Democrats Lash Out As Clinton Photos In Epstein Release Spark New Questions

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Bill Clinton
Photo Credit: "Bill Clinton" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Democrats accused the Trump administration of withholding information tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, even as a massive document release triggered renewed scrutiny of former President Bill Clinton.

Top Democrats complained Friday that the Trump administration failed to meet what they described as a clear legal obligation to make all records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein public by a congressionally mandated deadline.

The criticism came as the Department of Justice unveiled thousands of pages of documents and images tied to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, while acknowledging more material would follow.

Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican who co-sponsored the law requiring the release of Epstein-related records, said the Justice Department was falling far short of what the statute demands.

In a post on X, Massie accused Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche of sidestepping the measure.

“Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago,” Massie wrote.

Massie pointed to similar complaints raised by Rep. Ro Khanna of California, the Democratic lead sponsor of the transparency legislation, who alleged the Justice Department relied on sweeping redactions without adequate explanation.

Khanna highlighted one document in particular, noting, “One document, 119 pages of Grand Jury testimony, was completely redacted.”

“@RepRoKhanna is correct,” Massie responded, signaling rare bipartisan frustration with the pace and scope of the release.

The two lawmakers previously joined forces to force action on the Epstein files after years of delay.

Their effort initially faced resistance from Trump and Republican leadership, but momentum shifted over the summer when alleged Epstein victims traveled to Capitol Hill and demanded a vote.

The push reached a breaking point in November following a government shutdown, when Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was sworn in to replace her late father and immediately signed a discharge petition that forced the legislation forward.

Trump signed the bill into law on Nov. 19, triggering a 30-day countdown for the Justice Department to release all Epstein-related records. That deadline arrived Friday.

DOJ officials said the volume of material made it impossible to complete a full review in time to protect the identities of victims and other innocent individuals. Thousands of pages were released, with assurances that additional disclosures are forthcoming.

Khanna said he partially understood the logistical challenge but warned that transparency requires more than just volume.

He called on Bondi and Blanche to publicly outline what has been released so far and provide a clear timeline for future disclosures.

“My concern is whether they are releasing the documents in good faith, even if it’s piecemeal, or whether this is just more of the old documents being put out and a coverup,” Khanna said.

“I don’t know whether there is new information or whether it’s stonewalling. But that to me is the biggest issue in terms of the quality of the release, more than just the quantity.”

Khanna said he and Massie were weighing next steps, saying, “We certainly have all options on the table. But what we want is the fundamental information of who else was involved in the abuse and coverup.”

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York quickly echoed the criticism, accusing the Trump administration of defying the law.

“The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be — the Trump administration has 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some. Failing to do so is breaking the law. This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump and Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,” Schumer said in a statement.

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Schumer said Senate Democrats are coordinating with attorneys representing Epstein’s victims and outside legal experts to determine what material remains undisclosed.

House Democrats followed suit. Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking members of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, accused Trump and the Justice Department of ignoring congressional authority.

“The Department of Justice is now making clear that it intends to defy Congress itself,” they said, adding that they are “now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”

While Democrats focused on process complaints, the actual content of the release drew intense attention.

The DOJ uploaded thousands of documents and hundreds of photographs tied to Epstein and Maxwell.

After weeks in which Democrats selectively highlighted Trump-related images, the latest batch prominently featured former President Bill Clinton.

One image appears to show Clinton sitting in a hot tub beside an individual whose face was redacted.

Another shows him “swimming in a pool” with Maxwell and a second woman, also redacted.

Additional photos depict Clinton posing with pop stars Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, and seated on a plane next to a woman wearing an American flag pin whose face was obscured.

Clinton also appears smiling arm in arm with Epstein at what looked like a dinner party.

The resurfacing of the images prompted rapid reaction from the White House.

“Here is Bill Clinton in a hot tub next to someone whose identity has been redacted. Per the Epstein Files Transparency Act, DOJ was specifically instructed only to redact the faces of victims and/or minors,” White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on X. “Time for the media to start asking real questions.”

Clinton’s camp pushed back forcefully. Angel Ureña, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, accused the White House of trying to divert attention from Trump.

“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Ureña deflected.

“This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.”

Ureña dismissed the relevance of the photos, calling them “grainy 20-plus-year-old” images, and insisted the focus should remain elsewhere.

“There are two types of people here,” he wrote. “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.”

He added, “Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats.”

Clark Kelley

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