A new joint effort was launched Friday night to compel the release of files on Jeffrey Epstein, as the Trump administration scrambles to suppress further interest in the matter.
Both the New York Times and the Miami Herald have joined forces in filing a request in court for a judge to unseal financial records from Epstein’s estate on Little Saint James island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Through the request, the outlets hope to learn where Epstein acquired his massive wealth, the details of which still remain a mystery today.
“The continued and timely release and unsealing of documents related to Mr. Epstein’s history of widespread abuse, sexual assault, and trafficking of minors (across government institutions) is necessary for the press and the public to become fully informed as to how law enforcement, the legal system, and other institutions allowed crimes of this type and magnitude to proceed unchecked for years,” wrote Christine Walz, a lawyer for the Miami Herald, in the court filing.
The Miami Herald in particular has been successful in bringing the alleged crimes of Epstein to light, with his 2019 arrest shortly following a Miami Herald investigation into how the disgraced financier managed to escape justice for so long.
Epstein died in 2019 awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, and his network of powerful figures, and homes riddled with cameras, have led to theories suggesting he ran a blackmail operation targeting powerful figures.
President Donald Trump and House GOP leadership have pushed back on some efforts to investigate Epstein and his ties further, with Trump calling interest in the matter a “hoax,” and issuing ominous threats to GOP lawmakers considering supporting efforts to have files on Epstein released.