By Sean Markland 

Millions of new documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein were recently released to the public after being kept sealed for years. This large release adds to what is already one of the most controversial cases in recent times and has brought attention to Epstein’s connections to powerful people throughout the world.

These documents were not released all at once. Instead, the Department of Justice released them in several batches over time. The most recent release includes the final set of files, bringing the total number of public documents to around three million pages. The records include emails, flight logs, contact lists, witness statements, pictures of victims, and lots of redaction. 

Several political figures appear in the Epstein files, including former or present government officials from the United States. Some recognizable names are Donald Trump, Bill Gates, and Prince Andrew. According to NPR, they report that these names and faces appear in contact lists, emails, pictures, and flight records. They also claim Donald Trump’s name appeared over one thousand times in these new readings.

However, an NPR reporter explained that the files are “raw court records, not conclusions, and should not be treated as proof of wrongdoing.” NPR also reported problems with how the documents were released. Some files were heavily redacted, while others appeared to leave out redactions that should have protected victims privacy.

One survivor told NPR, “There’s just no explanation for how it could’ve been done so poorly.” These issues led to criticism of how the government handled the release, as the DOJ did not release the Epstein files in full as required by the law. 

Bellbrook students expressed their reactions about the release. “I think it is important that the Epstein files were released so people can know closer to the truth,” Bellbrook High School senior Riley Daniel said.

Some students expressed frustrations with the redaction. “I think the Epstein files have a lot of information,” an anonymous senior said. “So releasing them without redactions could help the rest of the U.S. know who truly needs to be held accountable and what truly happened.”