FILES OF SCANDAL

After years of secrecy the explosive Epstein dossiers will finally be released – and many powerful men will be quaking in their boots

- RICHARD VAN RENSBURG

IT COULD be the most explosive collection of secrets in modern American history.

For five years the so-called Epstein files have remained locked away in Washington while the world speculated about their potential to destroy careers and send shockwaves through the top echelons of power.

The files centre on Jeffrey Epstein, who ran a sex trafficking network targeting underage girls. Working alongside ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who's serving 20 years in prison, Epstein created a web of abuse that allegedly ensnared high-profile people. When he died by suicide in his prison cell in August 2019, it left more questions than answers. And as the world witnessed the devastation a friendship with the billionaire caused Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, it’s possible others might be having sleepless nights.

While parts of the Epstein files have been released over the past year or so, a trove of evidence regarding the billionaire and his activities has remained under lock and key. And with evidence that former president Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and even President Donald Trump were chummy with the creepy paedophile, it’s not hard to imagine why the establishment would like to keep the files under wraps.

Trump has bowed to pressure and ordered they must be made public within 30 days. But why are the files such a political hot potato and what are the implications of their long-awaited release?

THE CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTS

The files contain evidence collected by the FBI, the US Department of Justice and other agencies regarding Epstein and his criminal activities.