The US Department of Justice began on Friday to release hundreds of thousands of documents - many of them redacted - from the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, known for his connections with influential figures, including Donald Trump.

The files should help shed light on the past links of the influential financier who died in prison in 2019 with figures in the world of business, entertainment, and politics.

After resisting fiercely for months, President Donald Trump had to back down under pressure from Congress and sign a law compelling his administration to release the documents on Friday.

Among the published materials, several photos show Jeffrey Epstein in the company of former Democratic President Bill Clinton and other celebrities such as Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger.

It also includes a list of 254 masseuses, whose names are redacted with the note "redacted to protect the victim".

Large sections of documents are thus hidden, which, coupled with the strict control exercised by President Donald Trump's administration over the management of their publication, makes it doubtful that proponents of a conspiracy of silence can be appeased.

- Jacuzzi -

Bill Clinton appears in several photos, one of which shows him lying in what appears to be a jacuzzi, part of the image being masked by a black rectangle.

The White House immediately seized upon these appearances.

"Bill Clinton is relaxing, without any worries. He had no idea," reacted Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, on X.

Donald Trump promised during his 2024 campaign total transparency in the Epstein case but for months did not keep his promise, calling the case a "hoax" exploited by the Democratic opposition, much to the dismay of his "MAGA" base, obsessed with this scandal.

The law passed by Congress in November required the government to release all unclassified documents in its possession, but the process will be done in stages, according to Todd Blanche, the number two at the Department of Justice.

The release on Friday of hundreds of thousands of documents should be followed by hundreds of thousands more documents "in the coming weeks," he said.

The scope of the published materials remains all the more uncertain given that the financier's close ties with many socialites like Bill Clinton were already known.

A prominent figure in New York's jet set, Jeffrey Epstein is accused of sexually exploiting more than a thousand young women, including minors. This case, revealed in 2019, has implicated several celebrities with whom he was close, including Andrew, the brother of King Charles III, who was accused by one of the victims but maintains his innocence.

The financier's death in prison, before his trial, fueled countless conspiracy theories claiming he was assassinated to prevent him from implicating elites who had allegedly profited from his crimes. His death was ruled a suicide by the authorities.

- "A less than glorious past" -

This partial release sparked anger from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who pointed out that the law required the government to release "ALL documents" on Friday.

"This is nothing more than a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his less-than-stellar past," he thundered, accusing the government of "doing everything to hide the truth."

Once close to the financier with whom he moved in the same circles, Donald Trump has always denied having any knowledge of his criminal behavior and claims to have broken with him long before he was troubled by the justice system.

Jeffrey Epstein's former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a twenty-year prison sentence, is the only person to have been convicted in the case.

Todd Blanche, the number two at the Justice Department, warned on Friday that no new indictments should be expected.