US: Trump signs law for publication of Epstein files

Washington (DC, USA), 20 Nov. (LaPresse) – US President Donald Trump has signed a law requiring his administration to release files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, yielding to political pressure from his own party after initially resisting such requests. Trump could have chosen to release many of the documents months ago. ‘The Democrats have exploited the “Epstein” issue, which concerns them much more than the Republican Party, to try to divert attention from our INCREDIBLE victories,’ Trump said in a social media post announcing that he had signed the bill. The bill now requires the Department of Justice to release all documents and communications related to Epstein within 30 days, as well as any information about the investigation into his death in a federal prison in 2019. It allows for the redaction of information about Epstein’s victims for ongoing federal investigations, but the Department of Justice cannot withhold information for reasons of ‘embarrassment, reputational damage or political sensitivity’.