Newsletters
The Justice Department's massive Friday document release includes photographs from Jeffrey Epstein's properties showing prominent political figures and celebrities, offering a visual record of the convicted sex offender's extensive social connections with powerful individuals during the 1990s and 2000s.
The now-infamous painting depicting Bill Clinton wearing a blue dress appears in newly released photographs from inside Epstein's residence. The artwork can be seen hanging on a wall near the entrance of a room containing a desk and multiple computer monitors. The painting had been previously reported but is now documented in official investigative materials.
One photograph shows Epstein holding a framed check for $22,500 bearing what appears to be Donald Trump's signature. The image, apparently taken at Mar-a-Lago in 1997, shows Epstein posing with a woman whose face is redacted. A different view of the same check had been released earlier by House Democrats from materials in Epstein's 2003 birthday book.
Multiple photographs depict former President Bill Clinton at what appear to be Epstein-controlled locations. One image shows Clinton seated on a couch with a young woman whose face has been redacted by investigators.
Photographs of storage areas within Epstein's properties show shelves containing folded clothing and linens. One image captures an olive-green shirt bearing Hebrew text and the emblem of the Israel Defense Forces among the stored items. The significance of the military apparel in Epstein's possession remains unclear from the released materials.
The image of Clinton in the hot tub has become one of the most widely shared photographs from the document release on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The photograph shows the former president reclining in what has been identified as a spa or hot tub at an Epstein property, with a redacted individual visible in the frame.
Photographs taken aboard what has been identified as a private aircraft show Clinton with pop star Michael Jackson and singer Diana Ross. The images were captured during a humanitarian trip to Africa that Clinton and various celebrities undertook in the early 2000s. A Clinton spokesman has previously stated the former president had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and severed contact decades ago.
Released materials include images of actor Kevin Spacey with Clinton, reportedly from the same Africa trip. Spacey previously told interviewer Piers Morgan that he flew with Epstein, Clinton and others on a humanitarian mission but was uncomfortable with Epstein's presence. "I didn't want to be around this guy because I felt he put the president at risk on that trip to South Africa, because there were these young girls," Spacey said in the interview.
The released FBI documents include phone message slips seized from Epstein's properties that provide direct evidence of how individuals were procured for him. One message dated November 8, 2004, from a caller whose name is redacted, reads: "I have a Female for him." Another message from January 2005 contains identical wording: "I have a female for him." The caller names and phone numbers have been blacked out in the released documents.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated that while hundreds of thousands of documents were released Friday, additional materials would follow in coming weeks. The staggered release schedule has drawn criticism from congressional lawmakers who argue the Justice Department is violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act's requirement for immediate full disclosure of all non-exempt materials.
Among the released materials is a framed photograph showing Ghislaine Maxwell standing alongside six young girls whose faces have been redacted by investigators.
Maxwell, a British former socialite, was convicted in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other offenses in connection with Epstein. She is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence for recruiting and grooming underage victims for abuse.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
