Previously unseen images of Jeffrey Epstein’s island released

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released never-before-seen photos of Jeffrey Epstein’s notorious island.

Photos and videos appear to show several bedrooms in the US Virgin Islands home, as well as a room with masks on the wall and a phone with names written on the speed dial buttons.

In a statement, the committee’s Democratic leader, Robert Garcia, said they collectively constitute a “disturbing view” into Epstein’s world and are being released “to ensure public transparency.”

On November 19, President Donald Trump signed a bill ordering the release of government files on the late convicted sex offender — a significant turning point in a months-long battle over the documents.

These files include a large trove of documents collected during two criminal investigations into Epstein, including interview transcripts and seized items.

On Wednesday, five members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, reportedly requested an update from Attorney General Pam Bondi before the end of the week on the scheduled release of those files.

Several survivors have alleged that they were trafficked and abused on the island, known as Little St. James, which Epstein purchased in 1998.

Newly released photos from 2020 also show what appears to be a dental chair and a room with a blackboard with words including “truth,” “deception,” and “power” written on them. Some words have been redacted.

In a statement, Democrats on the Oversight Committee said the photos and videos stem from a November 18 request submitted to the Attorney General of the US Virgin Islands for information about investigations into Epstein and his jailed accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

“These new photos are a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island,” Garcia said.

He added: “We are publishing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.” “We will not stop fighting until we present the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”

According to Garcia, the committee also received records from JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank, which they intend to release “in the coming days.”

Little St. James was one of two islands in the Virgin Islands owned by Epstein.

In 2022, the US Attorney General reached a settlement worth more than $105 million (£78.6 million) after local authorities claimed that “dozens of young women and children” had been trafficked, raped and assaulted on the two islands.

The photos shed a bit of new light on the case, along with offering a glimpse into one of Epstein’s crime scenes and his lavish lifestyle in the Virgin Islands.

However, the release comes as the Trump administration remains under pressure to release the broader set of documents held by the US Department of Justice, with Garcia saying in his statement: “It is time for President Trump to release all files, now.”

Later on Wednesday, the committee released a second batch of about 200 photos as well as several videos. Most of these showed the same rooms that appeared in the first installment, with some new close-ups of the virtual dentist chair and masks on the walls of that room.

All masks are in a similar style and depict male faces.

Other photos show personal items throughout the house, such as a large collection of shampoo and conditioner and various art items including statues and paintings.

There is also a photo of Epstein and Maxwell meeting with Pope John Paul II.

The photos appear to have been taken in 2020 according to the metadata — after Jeffrey Epstein’s death in 2019 — so the house appears to have been packed away, with furniture stacked and artwork removed from the walls.

The release also includes a video showing a tour of Epstein’s properties. It shows a palm-lined swimming pool with a statue of an archer and a path to the ocean.

The bill was signed by Trump last month The department is giving a 30-day window — until Dec. 19 — to make it available in a “searchable and downloadable format.”

But there are obstacles to sharing the files with the American public on that date.

For example, the bill said the Justice Department could withhold any documents that jeopardize “an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary.”

That will likely lead to delays, given that Trump has called for investigations into Epstein’s relationships with prominent Democrats “to determine what was going on with them that he was involved in.” [Epstein]”.

The latest bill also states that Bondi can “redact or redact” records that include victims’ names, medical files and other personal information that “would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

The five members of Congress who requested an update from Bondi on Wednesday said they wanted to understand any “procedural hurdles that could interfere” with the Justice Department’s ability to meet the 30-day deadline, according to a letter they wrote and published by NBC News.

The letter referenced Trump’s recently ordered investigation into prominent Democrats. She said the basis for the move should prompt Bondi to provide “a briefing in either a classified or unclassified location to discuss the full contents of this new information.”

One of the letter’s five signatories, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, explained the move regarding