to avoid federal charges, enabling him to plead guilty in 2008 to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge. He served 13 months in a jail work-release program.

In 2019, Manhattan federal prosecutors revived the case and charged Epstein with sex trafficking, alleging he sexually abused dozens of girls. He killed himself in jail a month after his arrest.

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Epstein's longtime friend and former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping recruit some of his underage victims. The Trump administration has struggled to shake the saga because of the president's close ties to Epstein. Conspiracy theorists and others have suspected government cover-ups and demanded more transparency.

Lawmakers eventually passed a measure that compelled the release of a massive trove of Epstein documents in the government's possession. The Justice Department began releasing the documents in late December, which included photos, call logs, grand jury testimony and interview transcripts.

Todd Blanche defends DOJ's handling of Epstein files

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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who's being questioned by the Senate this week in confirmation hearings to become attorney general, acknowledged Wednesday that the Justice Department made redaction mistakes when reviewing and releasing the Epstein files.

Blanche said he takes responsibility for the mistakes that were made, but also said department lawyers who reviewed the documents took pains to protect victims and quickly fixed any errors.

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Blanche said the administration has been  extraordinarily transparent  in releasing the files, despite the department agreeing to release more records only after Congress passed a law forcing it to do so.