The ongoing release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex offender, is set to continue into 2026, following a recent law passed by Congress mandating the Justice Department to disclose all files associated with Epstein. Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019, was accused of abusing numerous underage girls.

The released materials, referred to as the "Epstein files," consist of over 300 gigabytes of data, including documents, videos, photographs, and audio files from the FBI's investigations in Florida and New York. The Justice Department met a December 19 deadline to publish a significant number of these records on a dedicated webpage, termed the "Epstein Library."

Included in the released documents are court records, responses to public records requests, and previously disclosed materials from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. However, many victims and bipartisan lawmakers have criticized the releases for being incomplete and excessively redacted, with some documents revealing the identities of victims.

In a surprising development, the Justice Department announced the discovery of over a million additional documents potentially related to Epstein, which will require weeks for review before release. Officials from the Justice Department, appointed during the Trump administration, assert they are working diligently to ensure compliance with legal requirements to protect victims' identities.

The initial release on December 19 included several hundred thousand documents, with further updates following on December 23. The Justice Department has categorized the released materials into sections, including court records and documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Notably, the "DOJ Disclosures" category contains significant new information, including references to former President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, both of whom have denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

Despite the ongoing releases, there remains a lack of clarity regarding the contents of the newly discovered documents. Lawmakers, including Representative Ro Khanna, have expressed frustration over the perceived delays and the absence of critical documents, such as a draft indictment against Epstein from 2007 that was never filed. Khanna and other legislators have indicated they may pursue contempt charges against Justice Department officials if the remaining documents are not released as mandated by law.