Following Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order to release the Epstein files through the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a surplus of high-profile establishments and public figures were named in the government documents, including many powerful businessmen and politicians such as Les Wexner (CEO of Victoria Secret, Bath & Body Works, etc.), Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and hundreds more. This case has brought about serious concerns over the real transparency and credibility of our current justice system.
Jeffrey Epstein was considered an elite financier and money manager up until his arrest in the summer of 2019 for charges of sex-trafficking minors and conspiracy to commit trafficking of minors. Often regarded as his co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, was taken into federal custody in 2020 for charges related to sex-trafficking of minors, in addition to “recruiting” underage girls for Epstein. Maxwell has since been moved to a minimum security prison to serve just a 20-year sentence and is to be released in 2037. With powerful connections to leaders in politics, Hollywood and business, Epstein and Maxwell were long able to avoid consequences and create a link of social networks, allowing them to form their pyramid scheme of abuse.
“When I first found out about everything within the files, I was appalled, and that was just because of what I read on the documents,” said Gabriela Reymundo, 10. “More and more things continue to come out about the organizations and people. It’s gotten to a point where I just have to put my phone down because of how unreal it all seems. We’re seeing things be brought to light that no one ever could have imagined.”
Just after the files were released in November 2025, Former Prince Andrew was officially stripped of his royal status due to his connections with the late convicted sex offender. On Feb. 19, 2026, the ex-Prince was arrested outside of his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England, under suspicion of misconduct in public office for allegedly sharing confidential information with Epstein, but was released from custody roughly 11 hours later.
Many people have praised the other countries taking action by penalizing any involved criminals; others are rightfully demanding more accountability and justice from the criminal figures in America. According to a poll done by Navigator Research, nearly 72% say there should be more prosecutions and investigations into people associated with Epstein in comparison to the 17% that say there has been enough accountability.
“I don’t think that people are as angry about this as they should be,” said Jayceon Alarcon, 11. “No prison sentence is long enough for these people.”
The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Pam Bondi, was ordered to publish nearly 3.5 million pages related to the Jeffrey Epstein case under the executive order. The deadline was set to be Dec. 19 and ultimately the DOJ failed to meet this deadline. According to Democracy Docket, only a small fraction of the files were released as of early January 2026, resulting in a violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Shortly after the files were released, they garnered lots of attention from the public and media with many noting the missed deadline.
Several online users have speculated the cause for the delay is due to the higher-ups protecting those in power. The poll by Navigator Research shows 73% of Americans say that the government is covering up any wrongdoing.
“I feel serious wrongdoing should be handled through legal processes set in the Constitution. Thorough investigations, due process and balancing justice with the principle of innocence until proven guilty are important and sometimes frustrating, depending on the situation,” said Jeff Smith, civics teacher.
In addition to failing to meet the deadline, the DOJ also failed to redact names of nearly 100 victims in the files, while making certain to redact the names of several powerful men such as Les Wexner, Nicola Caputo, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Salvatore Nuara, Zurab Mikeladze and Leonic Leonov. An investigation from NPR revealed that the DOJ has withheld at least 37 pages of files regarding Trump’s alleged criminal involvement. On March 4, 2026, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Bondi for a deposition regarding her handling of the files.
While officials have stated that these pages were removed due to being duplicative or containing “untrue allegations” against the President, a recent hearing regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case and its ties back to Trump revealed an accusation that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was lying under oath.
“There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime, everyone knows this,” said Bondi. U.S. representative Ted Lieu directly responded to this comment by adding, “I believe you’ve just lied under oath. There is ample evidence in the Epstein files.”
The argument surrounding the core of this issue should not be diminished to the war of republicans versus democrats. This is not a circumstance of who is right or wrong—it is an issue of justice being rightfully enforced, even when it crushes down on the esteemed.
