Administration Decries 'Democratic Hoax' as More Jeffrey Epstein Photos Released
Democratic lawmakers have made public a additional set of what they described as "troubling" photographs from the estate of adjudicated sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, depicting notably Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and ex-UK prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The opening batch of 19 photographs—a portion of which have been seen before—plus another 70 released later on Friday represent a small number of the approximately 100,000 images provided to the House oversight committee, which is looking into the behavior and associations of Epstein.
The disgraced financier died by apparent suicide in a New York detention cell in 2019 after being accused of sex-trafficking offenses.
Prominent Personalities in the Images
Among the prominent personalities shown in the first release are well-known figures including movie maker Woody Allen; Microsoft creator Bill Gates; and Richard Branson, creator of the Virgin business group.
Donald Trump is pictured in three of the initial 19 images. In one, he is seen with six women, whose faces are obscured.
White House Response
The White House reacted to the release in a statement, charging Democrats of purposefully "cherry-picking" the photographs for partisan aims and to "attempt to fabricate a false narrative."
"This Democratic fabrication against President Trump has been time and again refuted," an administration official said, asserting that "the current government has done more for Epstein's survivors than Democrats ever have by consistently demanding transparency, disclosing numerous documents of records, and urging more inquiries into Epstein's liberal connections."
Democratic Lawmaker Remarks
The images were disclosed without context, but per a Democratic representative from California and ranking member of the oversight committee, they prompt further inquiries about Epstein's associations with the rich and powerful.
"The moment has come to end this White House obfuscation and deliver justice to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his well-connected allies," he declared in a release.
The disclosure of these documents occurs alongside the oversight committee continuing its probe into the affair.