House Democrats on Wednesday released photos and videos from Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, offering the public a rare look inside a location that has long drawn scrutiny over allegations of trafficking.
The images, which were taken by law-enforcement officials in 2020 – one year after Epstein died in jail – capture various sections of the island compound, reports The New York Times. They include views of bedrooms, a telephone with several names blacked out, a room resembling an office or library, and a chalkboard bearing words such as “fin”, “intellectual”, “deception”, and “power”.
Some photos also show a room containing a dentist’s chair and masks mounted on the wall. The New York Times previously reported that Epstein’s last girlfriend was a dentist who shared office space with one of his corporate entities.
Epstein owned two islands in the US Virgin Islands, including Little St James, a site that earned an infamous nickname. In 2022, the territory’s attorney general reached a settlement of more than $100 million with Epstein’s estate after alleging that numerous young women were abused and confined at the island retreat.
While the newly circulated visuals do not introduce major new findings, they come as Congress tightens pressure on the US Department of Justice ahead of a 19 December deadline to release related documents. A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday also sought an update from US Attorney General Pam Bondi on the status of the disclosures.
“These photos and videos provide another unsettling window into Epstein’s operations on the island,” Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement. “We are making these materials public in the interest of transparency and to help build a fuller understanding of the harms that occurred. Our commitment to securing justice for the survivors remains unwavering.”
