A dentist's chair. Cartoonish masks of old men. A landline phone with men's first names on speed dial.
The images House Democrats released on Dec. 3 ofJeffrey Epstein's private island are making a stir. But the snapshots tied to the disgraced financier and accused sex trafficker who died by suicide in 2019 are also reigniting interest in the larger trove of documents set to be released on Epstein.
On Nov. 19, PresidentDonald Trumpsigned theEpstein Files Transparency Actafter Congress had a rare moment of bipartisanship in their overwhelming support of the legislation. It demands that theDepartment of Justice release nearly all filesrelated to its investigations of Epstein within 30 days, by Dec. 19.
See inside infamous Epstein island Caribbean estate in released photos
Trump and Epstein were friendsduring the 1990s and early 2000s before the two had a falling out. Emails from Epstein released in November by the Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and separately by House Democrats, mention Trump by name.
Here's what we know about what's next for the Epstein files:
What is the Epstein Files Transparency Act?
Trump supported releasing the files during the 2024 presidential campaign and encouraged conspiracy theories about the documents and investigations with supporters.
But on July 7, the administration's DOJ announced thatno further disclosure of the documentswas necessary after he'd promised a "truckload" of files would be made public. His Republican base rebelled, insisting the administration release the files. Congress agreed, with just one opposing vote cast in the House and unanimous approval in the Senate on theEpstein Files Transparency Act.
The legislation requires the DOJ to release the files to the public in a searchable and downloadable format. Prior large document publications, such as those related to the assassinations ofJohn F. KennedyandMartin Luther King Jr., were made available on theNational Archives website.
According to the Epstein files bill, certain information can be withheld, including the identity of victims, "child sexual abuse materials," and anything that might jeopardize an ongoing investigation. Any redactions must be disclosed to Congress, along with the attorney general's legal justifications for withholding the information.
When will the Epstein files be released?
TheDOJ has 30 daysto publicize "all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials" from the investigation into Epstein, according to thelegislation.
That makes the deadline Dec. 19, though they may release them sooner, per the law.
What was in the latest Epstein release from House Democrats?
The photos and videos show multiple rooms of Epstein's compound on one of his private islands, though it's unclear which one. He owned Little St. James and Great St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The two islands were subsequently purchased by a developer in 2023, several years after Epstein died in jail in 2019, while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
One pictureappears to show a dentist's chairin a room with masks on the walls. Another image shows aphone with speed-dial listings,apparently for phone numbers of people named Darren, Rich, Mike and Larry.
Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee described the visuals as"never-before-seen"and a "harrowing look behind Epstein's closed doors."
The documents come from civil lawsuits involving JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Virgin Islands allegedthat Epstein ran an "expansive criminal enterprise" in which "dozens of young women and children were trafficked, raped, sexually assaulted, and held captive in the Virgin Islands." Epstein's estate settled the case in 2022, agreeing to pay $105 million in cash and half of the proceeds from selling the islands.
Contributing: Erin Mansfield and Bart Jansen
Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her atkapalmer@usatoday.comand on X @KathrynPlmr. Sign up for her daily politics newsletterhere.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What to know about Epstein file release after island photos