New photos from Epstein vault show Trump, Bannon, Gates and Woody Allen

6 hours ago 6

Washington: Democrats in the US Congress released a selective group of photographs from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate that feature high-profile individuals including presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, businessmen Bill Gates and Richard Branson, filmmaker Woody Allen and Trump strategist Steve Bannon.

Some of the photos depicted sex toys and aids, while one showed a “Trump condom” with his face on it and the tagline: “I’m HUUUGE!” It was purportedly being sold for $US4.50.

House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, including some of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the former Prince Andrew.

The 19 images selectively released by the Democrats were drawn from what they said were 95,000 new photos obtained by the House Oversight Committee under subpoena from the deceased sex offender’s estate. The photos do not depict any criminal activity or wrongdoing.

Democrats have been slowly releasing small batches of documents – including pictures of Epstein’s private Caribbean island Little Saint James – focused on the financier’s relationship with Trump and other high-profile associates.

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking down on a deadline for the Department of Justice to release potentially tens of thousands of documents related to its investigation into Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking crimes, known as the “Epstein files”.

Under a bill signed by Trump last month, the government has until December 19 to produce “all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials in DoJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein”.

The department is allowed to withhold certain information “such as the personal information of victims and materials that would jeopardise an active federal investigation”.

The photos released by the Democrats on Saturday (AEDT) were not dated or captioned. One showed a much younger Trump at a function surrounded by six women, whose faces were blacked out by the committee.

Others showed Epstein and Woody Allen seemingly on a film set, and sitting with Bannon at a large office desk. Another picture showed Epstein in an outdoor setting with British billionaire Richard Branson, who also owns Caribbean islands.

One of the photos shows a much younger Bill Clinton, who was president between 1993 and 2001, posing with Epstein and Epstein’s girlfriend and associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton appeared to have signed the photograph. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of trafficking girls for sex in conjunction with Epstein, who died in jail awaiting trial.

Another photo shows Bannon and Allen standing and speaking at an unspecified location, while in another, Epstein and Bannon take a phone selfie together while standing in front of a mirror.

In one photo, also from an unknown location and time, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is seen with the former Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as he is now known, had his royal titles stripped over his associations with Epstein.

The top Democrat on the committee, congressman Robert Garcia, said the “disturbing” photos raised more important questions about Epstein’s relationships with some of the world’s most powerful men.

“We will not rest until the American people get the truth. The Department of Justice must release all the files, NOW,” Garcia said, calling for an end to what he called a “White House cover-up”.

The Trump administration rejects the suggestion it has covered up Epstein’s crimes or associations. It notes it released additional files from the Epstein investigation earlier this year, and queries why Democrats did not release the Epstein documents themselves when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office.

In recent weeks, multiple judges have ruled that secret grand jury transcripts relating to investigations into Epstein and Maxwell can be unsealed, in accordance with the bill compelling the release of the Epstein files.

Trump and Epstein were friends in the 1990s but fell out in the 2000s, Trump has said. Other high-profile men including Clinton, Gates and economics professor Larry Summers have said they regret their past associations with Epstein.

Epstein was convicted of child sex offences in 2008 in Florida, and served jail time under a deal in which he pleaded guilty.

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