White House Decries 'Democratic Fabrication' as Further Jeffrey Epstein Photographs Released
Democratic lawmakers have released a new tranche of what they labeled "troubling" images from the estate of adjudicated sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, featuring among others Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and ex-UK prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The first release of 19 images—some of which have been previously circulated—combined with another 70 released later on Friday represent a tiny fraction of the approximately 100,000 images released to the House investigative panel, which is looking into the actions and ties of Epstein.
The disgraced financier died by an apparent self-inflicted death in a New York detention cell in 2019 after being indicted on sex-trafficking crimes.
High-Profile Individuals in the Photos
Included in the high-profile individuals visible in the initial batch are celebrities featuring film director Woody Allen; Microsoft creator Bill Gates; and Richard Branson, originator of the Virgin empire.
Donald Trump is pictured in three of the first nineteen images. In one, he is pictured with six women, whose faces are redacted.
White House Statement
The White House addressed the release in a official comment, charging Democrats of purposefully "hand-picking" the images for political purposes and to "attempt to fabricate a false narrative."
"This Democratic fabrication against President Trump has been consistently disproven," an administration official remarked, insisting that "the Trump administration has achieved more for Epstein's victims than Democrats have at any point by repeatedly calling for disclosure, releasing thousands of pages of papers, and urging further investigations into Epstein's Democratic associates."
Congressional Democrat Comment
The photographs were published without context, but according to a Democratic representative from California and senior member of the oversight committee, they elicit additional doubts about Epstein's links with affluent people.
"It is time to stop this White House obfuscation and secure justice to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his powerful friends," he said in a statement.
The release of these images comes as the oversight committee proceeding with its probe into the affair.