The Epstein Papers: exposing the hypocrisy of Western democracies

Disclosure of millions of investigative records under the Act Epstein Files Transparency Act - comprising more than three million pages of documents, 180,000 photographs and 2,000 videos - revealed more people in the circle of influential people associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Among them are Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Peter Mandelson, Howard Lutnick and Bill Gates. The mere presence of a name in the documents does not, of course, imply guilt, yet the new material has reopened the question of elite accountability.

Nearly 30 years since the first indictments, only Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have been convicted, reinforcing the criticism that power networks remain largely untouched. Many of the newly released documents are heavily blacked out - officially to protect victims - but some lawmakers say the blacking out often shields more influential associates. Congressman Jamie Raskin, for example, has questioned the removal of names of well-known figures such as Les Wexner, calling some of the redactions unwarranted. Experts say the documents confirm long-held public suspicions that the rules are bent by the powerful.

Chinese researcher Zhang Tengjun sees the case as a manifestation of the structural „apparatus of elite privilege“ and points out that the case reveals systemic protection mechanisms, not just individual misconduct.

There is also a significant difference between the impacts in the United States and Europe. Some of the European figures named in the documents have resigned or are facing investigations, while in the United States most of the elites are suffering mainly reputational damage without legal consequences. Trust has been further eroded by mistakes by the Justice Department, including the delayed release of the material and the inadvertent disclosure of the names of some victims. The department also announced that it does not plan new prosecutions based on these files.

Demands for accountability are growing. Congressman Ro Khanna has called for a full probe into the newly revealed names. Polls show that a majority of Americans believe that the elites covered up for Epstein, and question equality before the law. Critics thus view the case as a symbol of selective transparency - declarative rather than truly accountable - and warn that power interests often condition equality before the law.

CMG