Trump signs bill to release Justice Department's Epstein files

The legislation signed by President Trump requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein within 30 days.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a bill Wednesday to compel the Justice Department to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein, capping off a monthslong bipartisan push in Congress that initially met resistance from the president and sparked sharp divisions within the Republican Party.

Trump had previously said he would sign the measure into law, even as he continued calling the largely Democrat-led push to release the files a "hoax."

Instead of holding a public bill signing ceremony at the White House, as he has with other pieces of legislation, Trump announced on Truth Social that he had signed the measure. He also used the post to take more digs at Democrats, repeating his "hoax" characterization and arguing that they were seeking "to try and distract" from his administration's accomplishments.

The House overwhelmingly supported passing the bill on Tuesday, with only Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., voting against the legislation. Later in the day, the Senate agreed to send the measure to Trump by unanimous consent, which it did on Wednesday.

The bill requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to release all unclassified records related to Epstein within 30 days. The law permits Bondi to withhold or redact information that could jeopardize a federal investigation.