NEWS IN A NUTSHELL: The Epstein Files Are Going to Be Released... But Trump May Have a Plan
FAST FACTS: I’ll be making ‘News in a Nutshell’ a regular column of sorts, to try to simplify some of the insanity.
The past 24 hours have seen yet another flood of insomnia-inducing developments in the political football game that the Epstein scandal had sadly been exploited into. I’ve been sat at my desk here in Kyiv, amid an ongoing air raid siren and imminent electricity blackout, typing away and fact-checking the disinformation being pumped out by politicians and the press.
But for now, sit down and have a cup of morning coffee with me as I get you up to speed on the biggest story so far, with some fast facts to add context to the chaos.
Today: The vote to release the Epstein files.
What’s happened?
Congress has passed a bipartisan bill forcing the Justice Department to make public all files related to its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The measure requires the documents to be released “in a searchable and downloadable format” within 30 days. The House approved it overwhelmingly (427–1), the Senate followed, and now it waits only on President Trump’s iconic polygraph test-style signature.
Why the Files Might Not Be Fully Public Yet
Even if Trump signs, as he most definitely will, there are built-in blockades. The Justice Department is allowed to withhold or redact parts of the records if they contain personal data or if releasing them would harm an ongoing federal probe. So, not every document may see the light of day immediately - and that’s actually a good thing, because for many years the public have been intentionally misinformed and misled by the media over this entire scandal. Dumping thousands upon thousands of additional out-of-context documents will just allow journalists with political and social agendas to simply twist new information into more salacious headlines. When it comes to the Epstein scandal, folk are already drowning beneath a sea of disinformation.
Delaying the full release may buy enough time to throw them a lifebelt; to educate them with the facts, finally, so they can ride the next tsunami of information from a position of understanding rather than confusion.
Do I trust the media to dish out these facts? Not one bit. That’s why you should stay tuned to myself and Jessica Kraus’ regular updates, exclusives, and live ‘Scandal Sunday’ chats here on Substack.
How Democrats Are Using Epstein Against Trump
In recent days, House Democrats released some Epstein emails that mention Donald Trump.
One email from Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell in 2011 refers to an “unnamed victim” who “spent hours at my house” with Trump — but Democrats intentionally redacted her name. Republicans later revealed that the ‘victim’ mentioned was the late Virginia Giuffre, a serial false accuser and self-confessed trafficker, thus exposing the shifty reason for the redaction: Though they wanted to mislead the world into believing otherwise, the email wasn’t damning against him at all. Why not? Well, because Giuffre herself repeatedly said she never saw Trump do anything wrong and that he never had sex with or did anything inappropriate with any of the victims.
What happens next?
1. Within 30 days we will likely see the files, but I suspect with many (much needed) redactions. Trump’s recent calls for an “investigation” into the Epstein matter appear smartly tactical: it could be a way to delay or complicate the release of more records that can be twisted against him. After all, if the Justice Department argues that the investigation is ongoing, it may be able to use the caveats in the bill to justify additional redactions or delays.
2. I will write all about the important parts within the files and will give you the full facts and meaning surrounding them.
2. But for now, I will finish my coffee, carry on with some work for my upcoming book, and will hope that you have a truly wonderful day.
P.S. Stay tuned - I have a couple of exclusives out later today, along with a breakdown of the truth behind the ‘survivors on Capitol Hill’.