House Democrats released photos Friday from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein that included images of Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Bill Gates and other prominent figures.
The images could embarrass those pictured, but Jeremy Saland, a former Manhattan prosecutor who now runs his own criminal defense practice, said the photos do not prove those figures were involved in crimes. Epstein was charged in federal court in 2019 with sex trafficking of minors. He died by suicide before his trial.
Epstein was accused of sexually abusing and exploiting dozens of underage girls.
As the alleged abuse occurred, Epstein maintained friendships with many high‑profile figures.
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"I see people who may very well have been engaged in personal relationships," Saland said. "I see people who may have been engaged in professional relationships. I see redactions, which by default make you think, 'Uh-oh, what are we hiding? There must be something nefarious.' But if you believe in due process — no matter whether you love President Donald Trump or you abhor him — this by itself does not move that ball from a criminal perspective."
As Americans await what could be the largest tranche of Epstein-related material to be released in the coming week, Saland said small batches of documents, such as the release of a handful of photos by House Democrats, only fuel speculation.
While photos of sex toys from Epstein's estate were among those released by House Democrats, those images by themselves do not indicate proof of a crime. Saland noted, however, that the photos could become significant depending on what other information is released in the coming week.
"What would be interesting to know is if one of these girls in one of their statements referenced one of these items and that reference is now corroborated — that it exists. That would give more credibility and a foundation to what they are saying," he said.
A law requiring the Department of Justice to release Epstein-related grand jury documents by Friday includes an exception: the DOJ is not required to disclose material that is part of an ongoing investigation.
Saland said that could give the Justice Department and the Trump administration wide leeway to keep some information from the public.
"If anything is withheld in terms of the investigatory file — the Department of Justice file — the fallback is going to be that there is an ongoing investigation and they're looking into other players or people. Therefore, we are not going to release maybe the most damning or the most embarrassing evidence out there. We're going to hold that back," Saland said.
