Epstein Files Transparency Act
Within 30 days of enactment, the Department of Justice must create a searchable, public online database of all unclassified records, travel logs, internal prosecution memos, and death investigation files related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Federal officials are prohibited from withholding or redacting records to protect politicians, public figures, or foreign officials from embarrassment or reputational damage. To safeguard privacy and justice, the government must redact victims' personal information, illegal abuse material, and graphic images of injury, and it may temporarily withhold details that would compromise active criminal trials. Any redactions must be publicly justified, and the Justice Department must provide Congress with a list of every government official named in the files.
What this bill touches.
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- The general publicGain open, downloadable, and searchable access to government investigative files, flight manifests, internal charging decisions, and records concerning Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and connected entities (Sec. 2(a)).
- Victims of Jeffrey Epstein and associatesProtected from public disclosure of their personally identifiable information, medical records, child sexual abuse material, and depictions of physical abuse or injury (Sec. 2(c)(1)(A), (B), (D)).
Who it burdens
- Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of InvestigationMust review, declassify to the maximum extent possible, and publish all covered unclassified investigative files, flight logs, and internal records in a searchable online format within 30 days, while submitting redaction justifications and reports to Congress (Sec. 2(a), 2(c), Sec. 3).
Who opposes it
- Public figures and government officials named in covered recordsExpressly denied redactions or withholding of records intended to prevent personal embarrassment, reputational damage, or political sensitivity, and must be included on an unredacted list provided to congressional committees (Sec. 2(b)(1), Sec. 3(3)).