FILE - In this Thursday, April 18, 2019, file photo, a sign for the Department of Justice hangs in the press briefing room at the Justice Department, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
The Justice Department has started releasing its files on Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender known for his connections to powerful figures, including Donald Trump. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche tells Fox News Channel he expects the department to release “several hundred thousand” records Friday and then several hundred thousand more in the coming weeks. Trump had long opposed the files’ release but did a U-turn after political pressure from fellow Republicans. Epstein was a well-connected financier who killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. Trump has never been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, who had many other prominent acquaintances.