The big new controversy over the Epstein files, explained

When the Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of documents relating to the convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein on Jan. 30, the sheer volume of the material was dizzying.

It always seemed plausible that important elements of the release would take time to emerge as reporters and researchers dug into the massive trawl.

This is exactly what has happened. Major news outlets this week picked up on reporting, which first came from an independent journalist, about potentially vital documents that appear not to have been made publicly available.

It’s a complicated story. Here’s what you need to know.

What is the core of the controversy?

Documents outlining three of four FBI interviews apparently related to a woman who accused President Trump, as well as Epstein, of sexually assaulting her decades ago, seem to be missing from the latest release. 

The woman made the claims in 2019, but they date back to the 1980s, when she was a minor.

Her allegation against Trump is uncorroborated. The president has denied all wrongdoing in relation to his friendship with Epstein, which ended roughly two decades ago.

Also, The Guardian late on Thursday published a story in which it said its reporters had obtained the missing documents and that the woman’s claims “at times appear outlandish.”

What’s the broader explanation? 

The latest release of the Epstein files includes a 2021 catalogue of material provided to Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal team. 

Maxwell, Epstein’s sometime-girlfriend, was tried and convicted of sex trafficking charges at the end of that year. The data set lists “non-testifying witness material.”

It includes anonymized reference to four interviews relating to one person, who has the case number 3501.045.

Of those four interviews, only one appears to have been publicly released. 

In that interview, the woman makes detailed allegations........

© The Hill