The Unsealing of History: Understanding the "Epstein Files"
The release of the "Epstein Files" in the United States represents one of the most significant moments in modern legal transparency. Following years of speculation and legal battles, a massive trove of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been unsealed, offering a chilling look into a high-society network built on exploitation. What Are the Epstein Files? The documents primarily stem from a 2015 civil defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's most prominent accusers, against his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. While Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021, thousands of pages from that original lawsuit remained under seal to protect the privacy of "John Does"—individuals mentioned in depositions, flight logs, and email correspondence. In late 2023, U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska ruled that there was no longer a legal justification to keep these names secret. This led to a phased rele...