US politicians have released new images of Jeffrey Epstein's private island estate in a move that appears designed to keep the Trump administration under pressure over the sex offender's case.
The photos and videos were released on the same day as Epstein's jailed accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, informed a New York court she planned to make a fresh bid for freedom.
The images were released by Democratic Party members of the House Oversight Committee, which has been scrutinising the US government's "possible mismanagement" of Epstein's investigation and prosecution.
The Democrats described the images as "never-before-seen photos and videos of Jeffrey Epstein's private island that are a harrowing look behind Epstein's closed doors".
The images' publication is separate to the expected release of the Department of Justice's "Epstein files", which has been mandated by law but is yet to happen.
Under legislation passed almost unanimously by Congress last month, the department has until December 19 to release all its unclassified documents on the case, with limited exceptions.
Maxwell to challenge imprisonment
The department recently asked two New York judges to approve the release of grand jury transcripts from the Epstein and Maxwell cases to comply with the new law.
On Wednesday, local time, lawyers for Maxwell wrote to one of those judges, Paul Engelmayer, to say Maxwell "does not take a position regarding the government's request".
But the letter also said Maxwell was planning to "shortly" file a legal challenge to her imprisonment, known as a habeas petition.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for helping Epstein recruit girls for abuse.
"Releasing the grand jury materials from her case, which contain untested and unproven allegations, would create undue prejudice so severe that it would foreclose the possibility of a fair retrial should Ms Maxwell's habeas petition succeed," her lawyers wrote.
The brief letter did not outline the reasons for her legal challenge.
Her lawyers have previously argued that her conviction was invalid because of a 2007 deal between prosecutors and Epstein, which they say protected his associates from future prosecution.
The House Oversight Committee has previously released thousands of documents relating to the Epstein case, including emails in which Epstein mentioned US President Donald Trump.
The committee's Democratic members have been pressuring Mr Trump to release more documents.
For months, Mr Trump opposed the bill to force the release of more files, but changed his position as it garnered support in Congress.
The newly released images were provided by the US Virgin Islands' justice department, after the committee requested more information for its ongoing investigation, Democrat Robert Garcia said.
"We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein's horrific crimes," he said.
"We won't stop fighting until we deliver justice for the survivors."
Initially, just 10 photos and four short videos were released. But several hours later, the Democrats released about 150 additional photos.
Mr Garcia said the committee had also received records from two banks, JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, which Democrats would release to the public "after review in the days ahead".
Epstein owned the island, Little St James in the US Virgin Islands, from 1998 until his death in prison in 2019. In 2016, he also bought neighbouring island Great St James.
He was accused of flying teenage girls to the islands and subjecting them to sexual abuse, but he died while awaiting trial.
A court complaint lodged by the US Virgin Islands government in 2020, seeking damages from Epstein's estate, said:
"Epstein engaged in a pattern and practice of trafficking and sexually abusing young women and female children on this private, secluded island of Little St James where Epstein and his associates could avoid detection … and prevent these young women and underage girls from leaving freely and escaping the abuse".
According to the complaint, Epstein's island properties were valued at almost $US578 million ($876 million), including $US57 million in cash found on the islands.
