House Oversight Committee Unveils 68 of 95,000 Epstein Photos, Including Trump, Gates, and Allen

The House Oversight Committee has opened a small window into a massive archive of Jeffrey Epstein photographs, releasing 68 images on Thursday that show the disgraced financier with a roster of high‑profile figures.

The Unveiling of the Photo Trove

The images include Epstein with former President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Steve Bannon, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, Microsoft co‑founder Bill Gates, film director Woody Allen, and other celebrities. None of the individuals in the photos have been charged or accused of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein’s crimes. The release was part of a broader effort by Democrats on the committee to bring transparency to the estate’s holdings.

Oversight Committee’s Review Process

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel, explained that the committee is systematically reviewing all of the estate’s materials. He said, “There’s about 95,000 pictures. We’ve probably gone through 75% of all the photos. We expect that by next week, all the pictures will be reviewed, and then we’ll put out additional photos.” Garcia added that the committee is working with attorneys and survivor groups to ensure that any victims depicted in the photographs are not identified or harmed.

Another committee member, Rep. Dave Min, stressed that survivors remain the priority. He noted, “We’ve had discussions with the survivors about trying to respect their privacy to avoid triggering them. Like, what actions can we take? So that process of redaction, of checking in with the survivors, is also part of the delay.” Both representatives emphasized caution around photographs that are more sexual in nature, with Garcia stating, “Certainly the most disturbing photos are certainly the ones that are more sexual in nature.”

Legal and Legislative Context

The new batch of photos was released just one day before the Friday deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed on November 18 and which President Trump signed the following day. Under the law, the Justice Department has 30 days to produce all of its files stemming from its investigation into Epstein, who faced federal charges of sex‑trafficking minors before he died by suicide in 2019.

The Act requires that the files be posted online in a searchable database for the public. The White House has criticized the committee’s releases, accusing Garcia and the Democrats of “cherry‑picked photos with random redactions to try to create a false narrative” that would make Trump look bad. Trump has said he kicked Epstein out of his Mar‑a‑Lago club after learning Epstein was hiring female employees from the club’s spa.

White House Response and Trump

The White House’s accusations came despite the fact that no evidence has emerged that Trump engaged in any illegal activity with Epstein, and Trump has never been charged with any crime related to the former financier. The accusations also ignore that at least one of the photos posted by Democrats was a Getty Images wire image that had been public long before the release.

Trump’s own statements about his relationship with Epstein have been consistent: he claims he removed the billionaire from his club after discovering the hiring practices. The White House’s narrative has been dismissed by the committee as an attempt to deflect attention from the broader issue of transparency.

Content of the Released Photos

Thursday’s tranche included photographs that are not limited to celebrity portraits. Some images show quotes from the Vladimir Nabokov novel “Lolita” written on women’s body parts, while others display travel documents and evidence of Epstein socializing with other prominent men. In addition, several photographs depict Epstein’s properties, and a number of work visas are heavily redacted.

The committee’s statement accompanying the release noted that “the Epstein estate did not provide context for any of the 95,000 images they transmitted and therefore the images are presented as received.” This lack of context has fueled speculation about the intent behind the images, but the committee has reiterated that it is committed to transparency.

Future Plans and DOJ Compliance

Garcia has made it clear that all of the photos and documents from the estate will eventually be released. He said, “We think that transparency is the absolute best approach. And so we will continue to release photos, documents, emails, whatever we can release from some of the financial records.” He added, “I think that’s what oversight should be about. It’s transparency.”

However, Garcia remains skeptical that the Justice Department will fully comply with the law by the Friday deadline. He warned that if the DOJ drags its feet, Democrats could take the Trump administration to court. He said, “We will use every tool available to us, including if we need to go to the courts and if we need to take legal action to get the files released.”

Ro Khanna, who co‑authored the law, told NBC News earlier this week that he is giving the DOJ the benefit of the doubt. He predicted that all but perhaps 5% of the documents would be made public by the end of Friday. The Justice Department has not yet announced its plans for the deadline.

Key Takeaways

• The Oversight Committee has released 68 photographs from a 95,000‑photo archive that includes Epstein with Trump, Clinton, Gates, Allen, and Bannon.
• The committee is reviewing the remaining images, working with survivor groups to protect victims’ privacy, and plans to release additional photos.
• The release comes just before the DOJ deadline under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which requires a searchable online database of all related files.

The committee’s commitment to transparency, combined with legal pressure from the new law, may force the Justice Department to comply with the release of Epstein’s files. The ongoing debate underscores the tension between public demand for accountability and the protection of survivors’ privacy.