The Trump administration has published what appears to be the first tranche of the Epstein files, but the release of hundreds of thousands of documents looks to have been delayed.
The partial release of the documents has been heavily criticised by Democrats as well as a Republican Congressman, who say the Department of Justice's (DOJ) heavily redacted release of documents lacks transparency and fails to comply with the law.
The files have been published on a DOJ website on the day of a legal deadline set by the US Congress.
It is not yet clear how many of the files have been held back.
Among the files that have been released are documents such as receipts, to-do lists and letters.
There are also photos that appear to be taken inside the "Lolita Express" — the nickname given to Epstein's private jet — and the disgraced financier's Manhattan townhouse.
Well-known Epstein associates including former US president Bill Clinton have been featured in the images, as well as celebrities including Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson.
Being pictured in the files does not imply wrongdoing, and most images do not include context on when or where they were taken.
After releasing the files, a White House spokesperson said it showed the Trump administration was the "most transparent in history", as well as accusing Democrats of being closely entwined with Epstein.
"The Trump administration has done more for the victims than Democrats ever have," the spokesperson said.
However the release has been denounced by the two politicians who co-sponsored the legislation forcing the DOJ to release the files.
One of them, Republican Thomas Massie, wrote on social media that the release "grossly" failed to "comply with both the spirit and letter of the law".
Congressman Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said his "entire team" had begun reviewing the documents.
"We will keep the American people updated — but it's clear that this is not a full release," he wrote on social media.
Responding to the release of the files, Mr Clinton said the White House had been "hiding" the documents and "shielding themselves from what comes next".
"There are two types of people here," Mr Clinton said via his spokesman in a statement published on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The first group knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light. The second group continued relationships with him after. We're in the first. No amount of stalling by people in the second group will change that.
"Everyone, especially MAGA, expects answers, not scapegoats."
'Several hundred thousand' documents still to come
Just hours before their release, US Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department was still working to redact information to protect victims.
He said "several hundred thousand" documents were being released today, and "several hundred thousand more" would come out "over the next couple of weeks".
Last month, Congress almost unanimously backed a bill to force the release of files relating to the investigation and prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.
It followed a years-long campaign by victims and others who believe powerful associates of Epstein have avoided exposure for their involvement in an alleged sex-trafficking ring.
The legislation to force the release of the files allows for the redaction of victims' personal and medical details, as well as information that could jeopardise ongoing investigations or national security.
Material depicting abuse can also be withheld, but documents cannot be censored to prevent "embarrassment" or "reputational harm" to public figures.
"We are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce," Mr Blanche told Fox News before the files were released.
"Making sure that every victim — their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected."
Democrats reacted angrily and threatened legal action if the deadline was not met.
Donald Trump recently called on the Justice Department to investigate Epstein's ties to prominent Democrats. The department agreed to this request, prompting concerns among campaigners the fresh investigation could be used as justification to withhold files.
The legislation to release the files was opposed by Mr Trump for months, who said its supporters were pushing a "hoax". But he changed his position before Congress voted on the bill, and it passed both houses almost unanimously.
Mr Trump held a press briefing about drug prices ahead of the files' release but, unusually, refused to take questions.
The US president was friends with Epstein for about 20 years. Flight logs show the president travelled on Epstein's jet at least seven times in the 1990s.
In 2019, Mr Trump said he had a "falling out a long time ago with him" and added that he did not think he had spoken to Epstein in 15 years.
At that time he would not say why, but in July Mr Trump said they fell out because Epstein "stole" young women who were working at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
One of those women was Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide at her property in Western Australia in April.
Fresh documents follow previous releases
The latest release of documents will likely include many of the Epstein-related materials that have been made public in the past.
In February, the Justice Department released what it called the "first phase of declassified Epstein files" but acknowledged most of them had already been made public.
They included an evidence list, flight logs, a contact book with the numbers redacted, and a "masseuse list" in which every name was blacked out.
Months later, US Attorney-General Pam Bondi said the remaining files were "never going to see the light of day". "Child porn is what they were," she said.
In recent weeks, Democrats on Congress's House Oversight Committee have also selectively released material gathered through their investigation.
They included several batches of photos, including some featuring Mr Trump (but not depicting wrongdoing). Video of Epstein's private island, and email conversations with several associates, have also been made public by committee members.
Epstein died in jail in 2019 in what was ruled a suicide.
He was awaiting trial for creating a "vast network of underage victims" who he sexually abused almost daily, and using the girls he exploited to recruit more victims into an ever-expanding trafficking ring.
In 2021, Maxwell was convicted of helping him groom his victims. She was sentenced to 20 years' prison the following year.
