US President Donald Trump has signed legislation ordering the justice department to release documents from its investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The files are eagerly sought by both his political opponents and members of his own base who have pressed for greater transparency in the case.
The material could shed more light on the activities of Epstein, who socialised with Trump and other notable figures before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
The scandal has been a thorn in Trump's side for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters.
Many Trump voters believe his administration has covered up Epstein's ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death, which was ruled a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he faced federal sex trafficking charges.
Until recently, Trump had urged Republican politicians to oppose the measure, warning that releasing internal investigative records could set a precedent he viewed as harmful to the presidency, according to two congressional aides.
But he reversed course this week as it became clear the bill had enough bipartisan support to pass with or without his backing.
Trump, a Republican, celebrated the signing in a social media post, saying the measure would help expose "the truth about certain Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein".
Trump accused Democrats of weaponising the Epstein scandal to undermine his accomplishments and divert attention from what he called Republican policy victories.
He portrayed Epstein as a Democratic ally and said the upcoming document release would expose "their associations" with him.
"Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed," he wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.
At a news conference earlier in the day, attorney general Pam Bondi confirmed the justice department will release its Epstein-related material within 30 days, as required by legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday.
"We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency," Bondi said.
Danielle Bensky — a Jeffrey Epstein survivor — spoke ahead of a house vote to release the files during a news conference with other survivors. Source: SIPA USA / Bill Clark
Only 20 per cent of Americans — including just 44 per cent of Republicans — approve of how Trump has handled the Epstein case, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested.
Some 70 per cent of poll respondents — including 87 per cent of Democrats and 60 per cent of Republicans — said they believed the government was hiding information about Epstein's clients.
Trump last week ordered the agency to investigate several Democratic figures who associated with Epstein, and officials could decide not to release any information tied to those people.
The justice department regularly cites the need to protect ongoing investigations when withholding information from the public.
— With additional reporting by the Associated Press.
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