The Justice Department’s surprise release of the so‑called Epstein files has blown apart the comfortable narratives Washington has been feeding the public for years, producing grainy, decades‑old photos that show powerful people in Epstein’s orbit. The trove — ordered to be disclosed under new transparency legislation and rolled out in batches around December 19, 2025 — includes images and documents that raise uncomfortable questions for both parties and everyone who has treated this scandal as a political football.
Among the images made public are photos of former President Bill Clinton in close quarters with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including a picture of Clinton sitting in a hot tub and another of him in a pool with Maxwell, with some faces redacted and almost no context provided. The White House itself fanned the flames by sharing the images on social media with sarcastic captions, underscoring how even release of raw facts has been transformed into partisan theater.
Clinton’s camp responded predictably, insisting the former president cut ties long before Epstein’s crimes came to light and accusing the current administration of trying to make him a scapegoat. That defensive posture is understandable politically, but it shouldn’t shut down the search for facts; transparency should not be weaponized to shield allies or score cheap points.
What conservatives should be furious about is the selective, messy way these files were handled — the Justice Department removed certain images and left other pages heavily redacted, prompting accusations of political editing instead of straight disclosure. If the DOJ is going to obey a transparency law, it must do so fully and without playing favorites; anything less looks like the deep state picking winners and losers in an ugly Washington parade.
Don’t let anyone pretend this is only about one party’s icons. The files implicate people across the spectrum and show how elites in both parties tolerated or trafficked in influence, yet the media circus and political operatives will try to frame the story to hurt their enemies while protecting their friends. Conservatives should demand equal treatment under the law — not a continuation of the swamp’s old habit of choosing which scandals matter based on who’s being targeted.
Equally important is the ugly history buried in these pages: survivors reported abuses long ago, including a 1996 complaint that the FBI allegedly did not pursue. The right must insist on real accountability for past failures by law enforcement and anyone who helped keep victims quiet, because law and order and protection for the vulnerable are conservative values, not partisan slogans.
Congress now has work to do — subpoena the records, compel testimony, and let hearings be about facts rather than late‑night jabs on social media. If oversight means anything, it must be thorough, evenhanded, and aimed at securing justice for victims instead of enabling political retribution; that is the kind of principled conservatism Americans deserve and demand.
