Thousands more documents related to the investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released Friday.
Notably, as we’ve reported, many of the files released were heavily redacted, with an image containing a photo of US President Donald Trump also appearing to have been removed from the Department of Justice’s “Epstein Library.”
Here are some of the reactions to the documents that have been released:
Gloria Allred, an attorney who represents several of the women abused by Jeffrey Epstein, said yesterday she believes the “system has failed the survivors,” demanding more transparency regarding the redactions in the documents.
The Justice Department had asked Allred which of her clients would like their names to be redacted, she previously told CNN. She believes some of the files may have been “under-redacted” after seeing several survivors’ names that should not have been included.
“I saw a number of survivors’ names which should never have been published, because the whole point is to protect the survivors,” Allred told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
A 1996 complaint written about Epstein was among the documents released on Friday. Survivor Annie Farmer told CNN’s Jake Tapper that seeing the complaint was “very emotional.”
“Just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time — and how many people were harmed after that date? We’ve been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way has been very emotional,” she said.
Lawmakers reacted with disapproval after it emerged not all documents related to the Epstein investigation were released on Friday, and those that were were so heavily redacted.
Posting about the apparent removal of an image containing a photo of Trump from the library, the House Oversight Committee Democrats wrote: “(Attorney General Pam Bondi) is this true? What else is being covered up? We need transparency for the American public.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer wrote on X, “And if they’re taking this down, just imagine how much more they’re trying to hide … This could be one of the biggest coverups in American history.”
Schumer had also condemned the partial release of the documents, saying in a statement: “The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be – the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some. Failing to do so is breaking the law.”
“This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,” he said.
None of the released images depicted any famous faces involved in sexual activity, and many are simply images of people at public events or functions together.
One photo in the Epstein files shows former President Bill Clinton in London with his former top adviser Doug Band and actor Kevin Spacey.
Speaking on Spacey’s behalf, a source familiar with the matter told CNN: “We’re happy to see the files being released.”
“That trip still remains a huge highlight in Kevin’s life and the fact that the plane was owned by Epstein (3 years before he would first be investigated) is meaningless,” they continued. “Whatever activities may have been taking place in the background have nothing to do with Kevin. No more than if someone is doing something wrong in the hotel room next to yours.”
A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton, who was also featured in some of the released documents, accused the Trump administration of “shielding themselves from what comes next,” adding that Clinton did not know about Epstein’s crimes and had cut off the relationship before they came to light.
“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” spokesperson Angel Ureña wrote in a post on X. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever.”
CNN’s Aleena Fayaz, Devan Cole, MJ Lee, Logan Schiciano, Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett, Andrew Kaczynski, Em Steck and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this reporting.