US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that the department was releasing more than 3 million pages of documents and more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The files, posted to a Department of Justice (DOJ) website, include some of the several million pages of records that officials said were withheld from an initial release of documents in December.

What do we know about the release? 

"Today's release marks the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act," Blanche said at a news conference announcing the disclosure.

Blanche is referring to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which obliges the government to make all documents related to the prosecution public. The DOJ had earlier missed a December 19 deadline to release all of the documents.  

US President Donald Trump had long resisted any attempts to release federal government documents pertaining to Epstein. Trump was close friends with Epstein in both the 1990s and 2000s.

However, Trump acquiesced after the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed both houses of Congress almost unanimously in November.  

Lutnick, Musk, Gates, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor mentioned in latest batch of files

The latest trove of documents shows US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick planning to have lunch at Epstein's private island, years after he said he had broken off his relationship with the financier. Lutnick and Epstein were previously neighbors. 

Little Saint James, a small island in the Caribbean, was the reported base of operations where Epstein was accused of sexually trafficking girls. 

Another file shows an email exchange between Epstein and billionaire Elon Musk, where Musk thanked Epstein for inviting him to Little Saint James. 

"The invitation is much appreciated, but a peaceful island experience is the opposite of what I'm looking for," Musk told Epstein on Christmas Day in 2012. Musk claimed to have been "working to the edge of sanity."   

Other emails show Epstein offering specific women to New York Giants chairman Steve Tisch, who was also the producer of hit movie "Forrest Gump." 

One exchange from May 2013 showed Epstein telling Tisch about a Russian woman. "Is she fun?" Tisch replied. 

Messages apparently to Microsoft founder Bill Gates were also among those released on Friday. In an email draft, Epstein alleged Gates had engaged in extramarital affairs.

In the mail, Epstein wrote that his ties to Gates included "helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with consequences of sex with russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women."

The Gates Foundation denied the statements, telling The New York Times, "These claims — from a proven, disgruntled liar — are absolutely absurd and completely false."

The latest files also detailed attempts by US prosecutors in 2021 to interview Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in a sex trafficking probe related to Epstein.   

Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, is a member of the UK Royal Family who was stripped of his royal titles and residence last year due to his association with Epstein.   

Democrats, Republican say DOJ failing short in Epstein files release

Some Congressional Democrats are arguing that Friday's trove of files is only about half of the files that have been collected.

"The DOJ said it identified over 6 million potentially responsive pages but is releasing only about 3.5 million after review and redactions," Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing California in the US House, said. Khanna was one of the co-sponsors of the Act. 

"Failing to release these files only shield the powerful individuals who were involved and hurts the public's trust in our institutions," Khanna said.  

Melanie Stansbury, a Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico, accused Blanche of "lying."

"This. Is. A. Cover-up. Plain and simple," Stansbury said.  

Republican Thomas Massie, a representative from Kentucky who is sometimes the subject of Trump's ire, is another one of the co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. He said, "Too many documents are still being withheld or redacted."    

Edited by Sean Sinico