United States President Donald Trump has signed a bill ordering the justice department to release files from its investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump, who previously opposed the legislation but did an about-face after it appeared to be heading toward passage in Congress, said on his Truth Social platform that he had "JUST SIGNED THE BILL TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES".
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 New York City's medical examiner called a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he faced federal sex trafficking charges.
Earlier on Wednesday (local time), US attorney general Pam Bondi confirmed the justice department will release its Epstein-related material within 30 days, as required by legislation that passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Senate the same day.
"We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency," she said.
But that release may not be comprehensive, as the agency may have to hold back material that could affect Trump-ordered investigations of Democratic figures who associated with Epstein.
The bill requires the release within 30 days of all files and communications related to Epstein as well as any information about the investigation into his death in federal prison.
The department will also protect the identities of any sex-trafficking victims whose names appear in the documents, she 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
The Harvard Crimson, a newspaper run by Harvard students, first reported the news on Tuesday.
Summers, a former president of Harvard, where he is now a professor, told the newspaper on Monday that he will step back from all public commitments.
Trump has said he had no connection to Epstein's crimes.
The investigation will cover any new information revealed in the files, including hundreds of messages Summers and Epstein exchanged over women, politics and Harvard-related initiatives, it said.
— With additional reporting by the Associated Press.
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