What we learned from the new batch of Epstein photos
CBC
U.S. House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including some of Donald Trump, former U.S. president Bill Clinton and the former prince Andrew.
Democratic lawmakers on the House oversight committee released fewer than 100 photos, a fraction of more than 95,000 they received from the estate of Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges.
The photos include images of Epstein with a variety of celebrities. In addition to Trump and Clinton, there are photos of him on a beach with entrepreneur Richard Branson and standing in a room talking to lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
Epstein is also seen in two photos with filmmaker Woody Allen, including one that appears to be on a film set, and in two photos with Trump’s former chief of staff Steve Bannon. Allen is also in a photo with Bannon, and in another on an airplane with former secretary of the treasury Larry Summers.
There are also a pair of photos showing Microsoft founder Bill Gates but neither shows him with Epstein. One of them, which also includes former prince Andrew, has been identified by BBC News as having been taken at a summit in London in 2018, with King Charles cropped out.
Another photo shows Trump with six unidentified women, all wearing leis; the Democrats released the black and white photo with the women’s faces obscured. It does not show Epstein, and it was not immediately clear when or where the photo was taken, or why it was in the Epstein estate’s possession.
The Democrats released the photos in two batches. The first batch of 19 photos released Friday morning showed mostly prominent individuals, along with two that showed sex toys. The second batch of roughly 70 more released Friday afternoon included images of Epstein with a swollen lip, taking a bath, and posing with a book about his scandal.
The photos demonstrate that Epstein hobnobbed with the rich and famous and powerful — and therefore don't reveal anything that wasn't already known.
None of the photos show any clear evidence of criminal activity.
The photos come from the Epstein estate, but were released by Democrats on the House oversight committee.
The Republican-led committee has been using its powers to demand documents and other material from the Epstein estate. This was the source of the roughly 23,000 Epstein emails made public last month.
“These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the oversight committee, in a statement.
The Democrats did not explain why they chose these particular photos to release from the 95,000 provided to the committee, nor did they provide details of the dates or locations of the images.
The Republican members of the House oversight committee accused the Democrats of “chasing headlines by releasing a handful of selectively censored and cherry-picked photos.”
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