The US Justice Department released thousands of documented related to Jeffrey Epstein, keeping in line with a bipartisan bill that was signed into law last month. Despite the Epstein Files Transparency Act forcing the government to publicly out the records, the release became more infamously associated with how heavily they were redacted.

Since not all documents were released despite the Dec 19 deadline, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Congress that more such reveals would follow in the coming weeks.

Note: Being named or photographed in the Epstein files does not indicate the individual was involved in the nefarious deeds of the late financier.

New names released in Epstein Files batch 1

Although numerous celebrities are believed to have been in contact with Epstein at one point or the other while he was still alive, some rather new names were dragged into the case. While Trump and Bill Clinton‘s ties with the sex predator have been the predominant focus of the discussion, the documents released this week also turned the attention to stars like Michael Jackson.

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Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger and Diana Ross were also seen posing with Epstein in certain pictures. Multiple photos also shed light on actor Chris Tucker. English business magnate Richard Branson was seen alongside Epstein in a picture as well.

Trump hardly finds any mention

Donald Trump’s presence and name rarely found a moment of attention in the Epstein Files released Friday. One of the few mentions of the US president included him being listed in the court documents. The DOJ files detailed that Epstein allegedly introduced a 14-year-old girl to Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

The purported incident is said to have happened in the 1990s, when Epstein allegedly and “playfully asked him,” in reference to the young girls, “this is a good one, right?” the documents highlighted.

As per the DOJ website, they further said, “they both chuckled,” leaving he girl uncomfortable, but “at the time, was too young to understand why.”

Mystery woman, Epstein holding a cheque from Trump: Photo

Yet another mention of Trump emerges in the files with one picture showing Epstein holding up a massive cheque worth $22,500 purportedly signed by the MAGA leader. The late convicted sex offender is seen standing beside a mystery woman, with his arm around her back.

The woman’s face has been redacted in the released DOJ library. The cheque pictured therein is an apparent bawdy insinuation that Epstein sold Trump a “fully depreciated *redacted woman’s home*.” The picture is held in a frame that says “Once in a blue moon.”

Epstein had a framed pic with Trump and Melania

Yet another glimpse of Trump is caught in a photo-within-a-photo situation. A physical copy of a photograph, sneaks out from a drawer, allegedly inside Epstein’s estate. The image famously captures a group snap of Trump, Melania, Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

In a different image, a framed picture of Trump Melania and Epstein is also seen. It cuts out Ghislaine from a previously public photo.

A different photo kept right above the group-of-four image nearly slips out of focus, but doesn’t really, as it shows Trump standing beside four bikini-clad women. It remains unclear when and where the picture was taken.

Bill Clinton exposed?

Former US President Bill Clinton appears to grab a lot of focus in the newly released files. He’s pictured in the library on several occasions. One snap infamously grabbing attention is that of a half naked Clinton in a hot tub.

Another image shows him in a swimming pool, surrounded by Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified woman. Thereafter, he also appears in photos with Michael Jackson. There’s another candid click that catches the ex-president posing alongside Epstein and Rolling Stone’s Mick Jagger.

His deputy chief of staff Angel Urena has since slammed the DOJ, indirectly suggesting that authorities may have been attempting to shift the focus away from Trump by “scapegoating” Clinton. His top aide maintained that Bill Clinton belonged to that group of people who “knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.”

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How Trump and White House responded

According to the Associated Press, Trump didn’t answer question about the Epstein files release while leaving the White House Friday evening after the DOJ released the first batch of its records related to Epstein. The US president was leaving to attend a rally in North Carolina at the time.

Meanwhile, White House and Trump officials have since been building their argument against Bill Clinton. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles recently emphasising that it was wrong of the Republican leader to target Clinton, saying he often went to Epstein’s private island. Despite her comments in the recent Vanity Fair interview, others quickly took aim at Clinton, diverting the attention away from Trump’s own past ties with Epstein.

“White House Communications Director Steven Cheung wrote on X, ” Slick Willy! @BillClinton just chillin, without a care in the world. Little did he know…”

White House deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson posted to her personal X account, “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. Time for the media to start asking real questions.”

DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin also hit out against Clinton, writing on X, “I wonder why the Biden DOJ refused to release the files…”

Epstein Files severely blacked out

According to a CBS News, at least 550 pages in the documents released on Friday are fully redacted. This instantly drew heavy criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. While it remains unclear why blacking out to such a large extent was needed, some of it may have been done to hide the names of survivors.

Although the Justice Department asserted on X that no names of politicians were redacted from the files, they will also be required to give Congress a lost of redactions within 15 days, as per CBS.

Among some of the very first reactions to pour out in regards to the redacted documents, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer pointed to a whole document of 119 pages being “completely blacked out.”

“This set of heavily redacted documents released by the Department of Justice today is just a fraction of the whole body of evidence,” he said after the incomplete release of the Epstein files. “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law,” as per NBC News.

Failure to comply with law? Politicians upset over DOJ release

Democrats and some Republicans have already accused the DOJ of violating legal obligations since its said it wouldn’t be releasing all the documents by the deadline. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who joined Republican Congressman Thomas Massie to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act through a discharge petition railed against the DOJ, threatening action against its members.

“The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law,” he said on social media, adding that he and Massie were considering potential impeachment or prosecution of certain DOJ members over the delay to release the records in their entirety.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also released a joint statement with others on the committee.

“The Justice Department’s failure to fully comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act not only violates the law, it continues this Administration’s pattern of protecting President Trump and other perpetrators and perpetuating the ongoing Bondi-Patel cover up at the expense of Epstein’s survivors,” Josh Sorbe, a spokesperson for Durbin and Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats said , as per NBC News.

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Reactions from the non-MAGA side to DOJ Epstein Files release

Beyond the reactions coming in from politicians and other officials, social media users expressed their exasperation on seeing Bill Clinton being “exposed,” as opposed to the files barely scratching the surface of Trump’s ties with Epstein.

Founder of Tolou Capital Management Spencer Hakimian also pointed out on X, “So they’re only releasing photos of Bill Clinton huh lmao.”

Former Ohio State Senator Nina Turner wrote, “Doesn’t matter if your last name is Trump or Clinton, if you assaulted and trafficked anyone, you should be held accountable.”

Another X user said, “It was really stupid for Trump folks to selectively drop the Clinton photos. Makes them look so f***ing guilty.”

Popular X commentator and techie Brian Krassenstein tweeted, “If you think that there are a dozen photos of Bill Clinton in the Epstein files, but not a single one of “Epstein’s best friend” then you’re part of a cult.”

Another political commentator said on X, “It’s funny that you think anyone on the left cares about Bill Clinton, but I’m glad you think that photos of US presidents alongside pedophiles is worth highlighting.”

Some user also dove deeper to unearth the previously publicly available pictures of Bill Clinton, Michael Jackson and Diana Ross, calling out the DOJ for being hyper-focussed on dragging the Democrat leader’s name into the mess.

“Getty Images has the supposed “newly released” photo and more of MJ Bill Clinton. It’s a nothing burger, as usual. Both MJ and Diana Ross’ kids being blocked out is nothing more than a dishonest attempt to make it look sinister,” read one of these tweets on X.