Fact check: Why couldn’t Biden release the Epstein files

1. Summary of the results

The original statement questions why President Biden couldn't release the Epstein files. According to the analyses, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released records related to Jeffrey Epstein, including 33,295 pages of Epstein-related records provided by the U.S. Department of Justice ^{[1] [2]}. However, these sources do not explicitly state why Biden couldn't release the Epstein files. Other analyses suggest that the Biden administration may not have had access to new information about the Epstein case, as most of the documents provided by the Justice Department were already public ^[3]. Additionally, the government has had the Epstein files for years, but releasing them is not straightforward due to the inclusion of grand jury testimony, which is secret by design ^[4]. The complexity of the case and the need to protect victims' identities are cited as reasons for the limited release of information ^[5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

A key missing context is the legal and procedural hurdles involved in releasing the Epstein files, including the need to redact victim identities and child sexual abuse material ^[2]. Another missing context is the historical background of the investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, which occurred during the Bush and Trump administrations ^[6]. Alternative viewpoints include the idea that Democrats, including Biden, may have been seeking the release of Epstein records since 2019, but their efforts were met with resistance from the Justice Department ^[5]. Additionally, the fact that a federal judge denied the DOJ's request to unseal grand jury material from Jeffrey Epstein's criminal case suggests that there are limitations to what can be released ^[7]. It is also worth noting that Trump's name is mentioned in unreleased documents related to the investigations, which could be a factor in the limited release of information ^[8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement implies that President Biden had the ability to release the Epstein files but chose not to, which may be misleading ^[4]. The analyses suggest that the release of the Epstein files is a complex issue, involving multiple stakeholders and legal and procedural hurdles ^{[1] [2]}. The statement may also be biased towards implying that Biden or the Democratic Party is hiding information, when in fact, the release of the files is a complex issue involving multiple factors, including the need to protect victims' identities and the Justice Department's reluctance to disclose sensitive information ^[5]. The Biden administration may not have had the authority or the ability to release the files, and the statement may be oversimplifying the issue ^[4].