# The Epstein Files Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 17, 2025, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997 "2025-07-17T23:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/181 "2025-08-11T15:04:52Z")
Federal judge rejects DOJ application to unseal Maxwell grand jury records. > **[Judge denies DOJ bid to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna224274)** > > U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said anyone who was following the Jeffrey Epstein case would "learn next to nothing new" by reading the grand jury materials. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/182 "2025-08-11T20:13:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Federal judge rejects DOJ application to unseal Maxwell grand jury records. So, unless trump ignore the law-šŸ˜‡ - no magic ā€œfilesā€ ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/183 "2025-08-11T20:29:00Z")
Well, thereā€™s still the DOJ Epstein client list that the AG said she had on her desk a month ago. Iā€™m sure sheā€™ll release it in two weeks or so. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/184 "2025-08-11T20:47:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, unless trump ignore the law-šŸ˜‡ - no magic ā€œfilesā€ The grand jury documents are a limited set of materials that were designed specifically to prosecute Epstein and only Epstein, and specifically for the crimes that he was being charged with. Weā€™d generally expect them to exclude most of anything that wasnā€™t directly relevant. So if there were other people who arguably could have been prosecuted, but werenā€™t going to be, then that wouldnā€™t be found in the grand jury materials. If Epstein was blackmailing people, but he wasnā€™t going to be charged for doing so, then thereā€™d be nothing about that. The grand jury documents fall well below magic status, to simple red herring. Personally, I couldnā€™t give a ratā€™s ass about them. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/185 "2025-08-11T21:02:17Z")
> [@from Northern\_Piper's link](#): > > Federal judge rejects DOJ application to unseal Maxwell grand jury records. ā€œA member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Governmentā€™s motion for their unsealing was aimed not at ā€˜transparencyā€™ but at diversionā€”aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such,ā€ he wrote. Well, _sane_ members of the public might conclude that. A lot of MAGA will fall for it. Alas, he tried. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/186 "2025-08-11T21:03:30Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > ā€œA member of the public, appreciating that the Maxwell grand jury materials do not contribute anything to public knowledge, might conclude that the Governmentā€™s motion for their unsealing was aimed not at ā€˜transparencyā€™ but at diversionā€”aimed not at full disclosure but at the illusion of such,ā€ Oof! ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/187 "2025-08-11T21:28:00Z")
Yeah, itā€™s nice to read that. But these little backhand slaps are all we can muster in the USA in terms of opposition to the Trump Steamroller. But still nice to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2025, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/188 "2025-08-16T22:26:04Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > The grand jury documents fall well below magic status, to simple red herring. Yes, they are a tiny fraction of the actual ā€œEpstein Files.ā€ Of course the MAGA faithful donā€™t realize that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/189 "2025-08-17T00:18:23Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > Yes, they are a tiny fraction of the actual ā€œEpstein Files.ā€ So, then- what is in the ā€œactual filesā€? How many documents? Where are they kept? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/190 "2025-08-17T05:31:22Z")
Well, we know that it took at least **a thousand FBI agents** with Sharpies to black Trumpā€™s name out of whatever files exist, so make of that what you will. Take a moment to imagine if Hillary Clinton had 1,000 FBI agents working on scrubbing her emails of specific references that make her look bad. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Where are they kept? They were on Pam Bondiā€™s desk not that long ago but who knows where they might be now. Check the fireplace. Or under the new Rose Garden patio. If no luck, try the bathrooms at Mar-a-Lago although you might have to climb over several boxes marked ā€œTop Secretā€ first. (Not aimed at @DrDeth in particular) I donā€™t know why people give Trump so much benefit of the doubt when it comes to Epstein. We know Trump is a shameless pervert who held beauty pageants so he could ogle the topless **girls** (literally; not 18 yet) backstage. We know Trump enjoys sexually assaulting women and brags about it. But when it comes to his close friendship with a pedophile that _Trump was trafficking girls to_ (as Trump has recently acknowledged, talking about Epstein ā€œstealingā€ his underage spa employees) we now somehow suppose that Trump never shared his mutual perversions with this guy? _Epstein had to tell Trump_ ā€œthis oneā€™s not for you!ā€ about a particular girl and that is supposed to mean anything other than Trump thinking she was there for his sexual pleasure whether she liked it or not? The worldā€™s most famous pedophile had to tell his fellow pervert to settle down! Let me repeat for emphasis: the dude with an island dedicated to rape had to tell Donald Trump to slow his roll. Jesus ever-loving Christ. I will say that ā€œenigmasā€ as some clever code for ā€œgaminesā€ doesnā€™t work for me (gamines are boyish and Trump is too insecure about his sexuality to admit his attraction to girls/women who look like anything like men) but that love letter from Trump to Epstein was creepy enough even without some special pedos-only code for girls. In any case, as I have said before, this information will inevitably leak and Trumpā€™s ham-fisted, cack-handed attempts at a cover-up will only make things worse. Not for Trump; he can just die and get away relatively cleanly. But for Elon Musk, who bragged about how heā€™s going to be around for 40 more years? Yeah, you might want to put some more effort in on that rocket to Mars, dude. And save a seat for Pam Bondi and all the other lackeys. Itā€™s going to be a crowded flight. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/191 "2025-09-25T12:49:47Z")
I doubt the Epstein files matter at this point. No way they would release the originals. Even Trumps administration has someone capable enough to make up believable forgeries. If Trump is not in them, I wonā€™t believe it. If he is MAGA wonā€™t believe it. Itā€™s a total stalemate. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/192 "2025-09-25T14:33:42Z")
The point of the Epstein files is that Trump is refusing to order them to be released, which makes him look guilty. Itā€™s a bit of leverage that makes MAGA ā€˜thinkā€™ (for a certain definition of ā€˜thinkā€™). ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/193 "2025-09-25T14:50:48Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > ā€¦ Even Trumps administration has someone capable enough to make up believable forgeries. ā€¦ Does this mean theyā€™re still being audited? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/194 "2025-09-25T15:21:59Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I doubt the Epstein files matter at this point. No way they would release the originals. Even Trumps administration has someone capable enough to make up believable forgeries. Forgeries do best under light scrutiny. Few documents in history will be scrutinized as heavily, and by as many skeptical eyes, as any released Epstein files. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/195 "2025-09-25T16:00:33Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Few documents in history will be scrutinized as heavily, and by as many skeptical eyes, as any released Epstein files. And Trump and Bondi and the MAGAS will just say no they arenā€™t, what are ya gonna do about it. I do have to wonder why more women (girls then) have not come forward. Thatā€™s the only thing that gives me pause. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/196 "2025-09-25T16:10:05Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > I do have to wonder why more women (girls then) have not come forward. Thatā€™s the only thing that gives me pause. Trump goes after people who make jokes about him on television. Heā€™s coming after the Washington Commanders because he wants them to change the teamā€™s name back to what it was. I can think of a great many reason more women arenā€™t coming forward. Look what happened to Stormy Daniels for claiming she had a sexual encounter with Trump. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/197 "2025-09-25T16:12:32Z")
Itā€™s weird, because although Republicans were content to accept Barrā€™s lies about the Mueller report, there do seem to be Republicans who want to know whatā€™s actually in The Epstein Files. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/198 "2025-09-25T16:14:28Z")
Are any of those True Believers that think that it will consist mainly of Democrats? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/199 "2025-09-25T16:19:04Z")
I would bet so. They seem to be of the more conspiracy favoring branch of Republicans. The basement pizza ones. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997/200 "2025-09-25T16:52:54Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Forgeries do best under light scrutiny. Few documents in history will be scrutinized as heavily, and by as many skeptical eyes, as any released Epstein files. Iā€™d also note that they would need to match public information: > **[Jeffrey Epstein accuser urged FBI to investigate Trump decades ago ā€“ report](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/21/jeffrey-epstein-maria-farmer-trump)** > > Maria Farmer accused Epstein and Maxwell of sexual crimes in 1996, and identified Trump as worthy of attention > **[Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell survivor testified she met Donald Trump at...](https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/trump/2025/07/29/jeffrey-epstein-survivor-testified-she-met-donald-trump-at-age-14/85407198007/)** > > One of four survivors who testified at Ghislaine Maxwell's trial is one of the few who has brought up Trump. She didn't accuse him of wrongdoing. Thereā€™s basically no way to release everything and not have Trump look like he was knowingly best buds with a pedo, since we know that material does exist that it would have to do just exactly that. Any lack of such a thing is, effectively, evidence of a failure to release everything. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-epstein-files-question/1020997.md?page=11)