Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Four days after the 19 December deadline for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the Epstein files in their entirety, we continue to get a drip feed of new documents, pictures and videos from the investigations into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Today's batch is the eighth we've seen. It contains more than 11,000 files - the most released by the DOJ in a single batch so far.

Much of the tranche consists of investigative documents and correspondence - including emails exchanged between "A" from "Balmoral" and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, which asks for "inappropriate friends".

There's a full rundown on some of today's key takeaways in an earlier post, with more on "The Invisible Man" alias that crops up in email chains with Maxwell, and the debunking of a fake video of Epstein in his prison cell.

Today's release also shows that US President Donald Trump was a passenger on Epstein's private jet on eight flights between 1993 and 1996. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and his presence on the flights does not indicate wrongdoing.

On both sides of the US political spectrum, lawmakers say the release raises more questions than answers, and we're no clearer when, or if, we'll see another tranche of documents.

We're closing our live coverage now. For further reading, you can check out:

• Our article on how prosecutors say Trump travelled on Epstein's plane more than previously thought
• Our story with more detail on the 'inappropriate friends' email from 'Balmoral' that was among today's Epstein release

Sakshi Venkatraman
North America reporter

Documents released by the Department of Justice today mention 10 possible "co-conspirators" of Jeffrey Epstein.

The emails, which appear to be sent between FBI personnel in 2019, said six of the 10 co-conspirators had been served with subpoenas. This included three in Florida, one in Boston, one in New York City, and one in Connecticut.

Four subpoenas were yet to be served when the emails were sent, including to one "wealthy businessman in Ohio".

Another email sent to FBI New York gives an update on the co-conspirators. This time it appears to mention multiple names. Most are redacted from the file.

Two names were not redacted – (Ghislaine) Maxwell and Wexner.

An email says, "I do not know about Ohio contacting Wexner".

It presumably is referring to Former Victoria's Secret CEO Les Wexner, who had a public friendship with Epstein. In 2019, Wexner said he was "embarrassed" by his ties to the financier.

Today, lawyers for Wexner told BBC News that "the assistant U.S. attorney in charge of the Epstein investigation stated at the time that Mr. Wexner was neither a co-conspirator nor target".

"Mr. Wexner cooperated fully by providing background information on Epstein and was never contacted again," they said.

Possible co-conspirators for Epstein’s crimes are a major focus for several lawmakers, who have demanded more transparency from the DOJ.

“There's 10 co-conspirators potentially that we knew nothing about that the DOJ had been investigating," Democrat Congressman Suhas Subramanyam told BBC News on Tuesday.

Olivia Davies and Chi Chi Izundu
BBC News Investigations

Last week, BBC News revealed that nearly 90 flights linked to Jeffrey Epstein arrived at and departed from UK airports, some with British women on board who say they were abused by the billionaire.

As a result, the BBC contacted the Metropolitan Police in October to enquire whether they would open a full investigation into potential human trafficking in, around and out of the UK by Epstein and his co-conspirators.

Today’s US Department of Justice release includes an email from a senior Met Police officer asking the London attaché of the FBI whether there is still any "active investigations in relation" to the BBC’s queries regarding Epstein’s flight patterns to the UK. The email can be seen here, external.

In a statement released earlier this month, the Metropolitan Police said it had "not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation" into Epstein and Maxwell's trafficking activities in the UK.

"Should new and relevant information be brought to our attention," including any resulting from the release of material in the US, "we will assess it", the Met said.

Questions remain about what happened to US request for interview with Andrewpublished at 21:58 GMT 23 December

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

A challenge for this released information is to put apparently random pieces into some kind of context.

The email sent by "A" asking for "inappropriate friends" was sent in August 2001, which is five months after Virginia Giuffre claims she was forced to have sex with the former Prince Andrew in London at Ghislaine Maxwell's house.

That's a claim Andrew has always strongly denied and he has always rejected any claims of wrongdoing in his links with Epstein.

Although further documents show that the US Department of Justice formally sought to get answers from Andrew, asking in April 2020 for the UK government to assist in getting him to give evidence in cases linked to Epstein.

In the event that he wouldn't voluntarily give evidence, the US authorities asked their UK counterparts to compel him.

There could be more questions about what happened to that request. Although it arrived when the Covid lockdown had just begun and attention was elsewhere.

A letter included in this latest document drop has received a lot of attention on social media. But, according to the Justice Department, it's fake.

The files contain a handwritten note and envelope that appeared to show Epstein writing to Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who is serving decades in prison for sexually abusing young female athletes.

The letter appeared to have been deemed undeliverable, and sent back to the Manhattan jail where Epstein was detained when he died.

Once received, the Federal Bureau of Investigation requested an analysis of the note. That request was also included in Tuesday's Epstein files release.

The Justice Department (DOJ) said the letter had several irregularities.

"The writing does not appear to match Jeffrey Epstein's," the DOJ wrote on X on Tuesday.

"The return address did not list the jail where Epstein was held and did not include his inmate number, which is required for outgoing mail," they added.

Officials said the envelope bore a postmark from northern Virginia, even though Epstein was detained in New York. It was also postmarked 13 August 2019, three days after Epstein died.

"Just because a document is released by the Department of Justice does not make the allegations or claims within the document factual," the DOJ said.

Maria Farmer, one of Epstein's earliest accusers, says she felt "initial victory and optimism for a long-fought push for truth" following the release of the Epstein files.

However, she adds that they have also brought "crushing disappointment and frustration at the Department of Justice’s continued evasion of the truth with the heavily yet irresponsibly redacted release of the files".

Farmer, who first reported Epstein to law enforcement in 1996, released the statement after Congressman Robert Garcia called for the Office of the Inspector General to carry out an independent investigation into the failure of the FBI to properly investigate her reports of child pornography and abuse.

Farmer says she made the reports "not for myself - but for vulnerable girls like my younger sisters and Virginia Roberts Giuffre".

"Since then, they have engaged in a systematic cover-up to protect him and his circle of powerful abusers. This revelation brings some validation - but not justice or accountability," she adds.

"It must lead to real answers about who knew what and when, and why our government’s justice system failed so badly."

The White House says the Trump administration's order to release the Epstein files shows that it is "the most transparent in history".

The latest drop of files appears to show a picture of Jeffrey Epstein in an apparent Austrian passport, listed under the name Marius Robert Fortelni.

The passport/document lists the person's date of birth as 30 July 1954 and place of birth as Vienna. Epstein was born in 1953 in the United States.

Their residence is listed as Saudi Arabia and their nationality as Austrian.

Earlier on we reported that images of an old US passport belonging to Epstein had been included in this data release.

In Friday's batch of material we saw another one of Epstein's passports - issued in March 2009.

The BBC has contacted a man who shares the first and last name as that used by Jeffrey Epstein in the passport for his reaction to the release.

Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle have been questioning how the Department of Justice has been releasing the Epstein files.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, which itself has been slowly releasing documents and photos from the Epstein estate over the last few months, accused the DOJ of withholding information.

"The new DOJ documents raise serious questions about the relationship between Epstein and Donald Trump," the Committee wrote. "This is a White House cover-up and we are going to end it."

Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has publicly feuded with Trump on the issue of the Epstein files, is also calling for more transparency.

"Trump called me a traitor for fighting him to release the Epstein files and standing with women who were raped, jailed in stalls, and trafficked to men," she posted. "Only evil people would hide this and protect those who participated."

Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer says he wants to know more about Epstein's 10 possible "co-conspirators" mentioned in previously released emails.

"What are they hiding? Tens of thousands of files released shed no light on who they are. More questions than answers," Schumer wrote on X.

Earlier today, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) released its largest drop of files to date relating to federal investigations into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Here's a reminder of what is included in the latest tranche of documents:

• More than 11,000 files were released, including a 2001 email sent by "A" from "Balmoral" to Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, from an email address titled "The Invisible Man"
• "The Invisible Man" is a pen name we've seen attached to two separate email addresses, one of which is listed in Epstein's phone book under a contact labelled "Duke of York"
• The email asks Maxwell "have you found me some new inappropriate friends?"
• Another email exchange discusses "girls" on a trip to Peru. The BBC has contacted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's team for a response
• A fake video purporting to show Jeffrey Epstein in his New York prison cell on the day of his death is included in the latest batch of files
• The DOJ's latest release also includes an email that says Donald Trump was a passenger on Epstein's private jet on eight flights between 1993 and 1996
• Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and his presence on the flights does not indicate wrongdoing

• The justice department says that "some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election", in a statement published following this latest file drop

The latest twist in the former Prince Andrew's storypublished at 18:39 GMT 23 December

Sean Coughlan
Royal correspondent

Every time you think the Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor story must have finished, there's another twist.

The latest batch of documents from the Epstein files includes emails that could further damage his reputation.

Or perhaps his reputation is such a sunken ship that it's already at rock bottom and this will only reinforce existing negative impressions.

Public opinion might be divided too in reaction to this drip-drip of pictures and emails.

There might be some who have had enough of all these seedy headlines and don't want any more Andrew all over their Christmas dinner. They've already formed an opinion and this will only provide further confirmation.

While others will see these latest documents as evidence of the need to press even harder into Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein and his circle. What more is being covered up?, they'll ask.

Olivia Davies
BBC News Investigations

Another fascinating document in this release, dated 3 April 2020, is a formal request from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to British authorities seeking assistance “to interview H.R.H Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward” relating to the criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

The DOJ’s letter to the British government states that “Prince Andrew may have been a witness to and/or participant in certain events of relevance to the ongoing investigation”, adding that “documentary evidence uncovered“ had “revealed information suggesting that Prince Andrew had knowledge that [Ghislaine] Maxwell recruited females to engage in sex acts with Epstein and other men”.

It adds that “Prince Andrew is not presently a target of the investigation, and U.S authorities have not, to date, gathered evidence that he has committed any crime under U.S law”.

The letter requests British assistance to help arrange an interview of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, suggesting three options:

• A voluntary interview conducted by US authorities (in the presence of UK authorities)

• A voluntary interview conducted by UK authorities (using specific questions provided by US authorities)

• A compelled interview (where the witness declines to participate in either of the options above and British authorities conduct a “compelled interview of the witness under oath”)

Attached to the letter is four pages of questions that US authorities wanted to ask Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2020, including those around his financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as well as the history of his relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell - these can be seen here, external.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been contacted by BBC News for comment.

We can now bring you another email exchange between Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and "The Invisible Man".

We've seen this alias attached to two separate email addresses, one of which is listed in Epstein's phone book under a contact labelled "Duke of York".

One exchange between Maxwell and "The Invisible Man" discusses a trip to Peru.

On 27 February 2002, an email from an address labelled "Juanesteban Ganoza" is sent to Maxwell about plans for a visit.

Ganoza suggests activities including horse riding and restaurant lunches.

At the end of the email, Ganoza asks: "About the girls... how old is he? I doubt it that he will find someone here, but we can try."

This email is forwarded by Maxwell to "The Invisible Man" on abx17@dial.pipex.com, along with the message: "What do you think[?]"

On 28 February 2002, "The Invisible Man" replies to Maxwell from a different account - aace@dial.pipex.com. As a reminder, this is the address listed in Epstein's phone book.

The email reads: "As for girls well I leave that entirely to you and Juan Estoban!"

On 3 March 2002, Maxwell forwards an email to aace@dial.pipex.com, which begins: "Thought you would like to see what I sent."

Below is the following: "Some sight seeing some 2 legged sight seeing (read intelligent pretty fun and from good families) and he will be very happy.

"I know I can rely on you to show him a wonderful time and that you will only introduce him to friends that you can trust and rely on to be friendly and discreet and fun. He does not want to read about any trip in the papers whom or what he saw."

Here's that email exchange in full:

The emails do not indicate any wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's team for a response, including about references to "The Invisible Man".

In October, Mountbatten-Windsor lost use of his Duke of York title following scrutiny over his links with Epstein.

He has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, and said he did not "see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction".

Fake Epstein prison cell video released in latest filespublished at 16:41 GMT 23 December

By Shayan Sardarizadeh

A fake video purporting to show Jeffrey Epstein in his New York prison cell on the day of his death is included in the latest batch of files released by the US Department of Justice which has caused confusion among some people online.

The reason the video was included is because a man from Florida sent an email to federal investigators in March 2021, external containing a link to the video, asking whether it was real. He also referred to a number of conspiracy theories in the email.

The 12-second clip, external appears to show Epstein on his knees in the cell at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center on 10 August at 04:29 local time - approximately two hours before his death which was officially ruled to be suicide.

Some online users falsely interpreted it as new footage possibly showing Epstein attempting to take his own life. However, the clip is not real.

Using a reverse image search, we found a copy of the video, external posted to YouTube in October 2020 , externalby a user who said the clip had been created using 3D graphics.

According to a 2023 report by the , externalFederal , externalBureau of Prisons, external no video recording from inside Epstein's cell on the day of his death exists.

Trump's name appears more in latest file releasepublished at 16:02 GMT 23 December

Kayla Epstein
US reporter

One thing that's clear is that President Donald Trump's name makes more appearances in this release than the previous drop on Friday.

Notably, a 7 January 2020 email from a federal prosecutor in New York says flight records reflect that Trump "travelled on Epstein's private jet many more times than previously has been reported".

Trump was a passenger on "at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996," the prosecutor said - read more about this in our previous post.

Many other mentions of Trump in this document drop are from news clippings.

Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing.

Trump's presence in this batch of Epstein files is interesting, but it's too early to see if there will be any political consequences.

Over the weekend, the president expressed frustration.

"Everybody was friendly with this guy (Epstein)," Trump said.

Later, he commented that most of the people shown in the files met Epstein "innocently".

"But they're in a picture with him because he was at a party and you ruin a reputation of somebody," the president added.

We're still going through the latest drop of Epstein files by the Department of Justice.

While we're combing through the details, here's a reminder of some of the details from the seven other batches of files published over the weekend.

• High-profile figures - there were a number of photographs of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as images of famous people including former US president Bill Clinton, musicians Michael Jackson and Mick Jagger, British politician Peter Mandelson, actor Kevin Spacey and former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
• Those pictures were released without details on time, place, or additional context. Being depicted in the images does not imply any wrongdoing and many of those identified in previous releases have denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein
• Donald Trump - the US president was hardly mentioned in the previous batch of files, but as we've been reporting is mentioned in today's release
• Redactions - many of the files contained redactions, with people's faces covered or pages blacked out. According to CBS, the BBC's US partner, more than 550 pages released on Friday were entirely redacted
• There were partially redacted phone messages, some of which carried messages like "she has females for Mr JE" and "I have a female for him"
• Tape from New York City jail - A tape labelled Metropolitan Correction Center - the New York City jail where Epstein died while awaiting trial - also featured. It was marked as a "master copy" of a "submission of downloaded video" from the jail and dated four days after Epstein's suicide in August 2019

The latest tranche of files released by the Department of Justice (DoJ) is the eighth release since Friday.

It's the latest in a string of long-awaited materials it holds relating to criminal investigations into disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

If you're just joining us, here's what we've found so far today:

• The DoJ's largest release so far - numbering over 11,000 files, this batch is the largest so far and follows the release of seven other batches over Friday and Saturday

• Email by 'A' from 'Balmoral' - 'among the documents is a 2001 email sent by "A" from "Balmoral" who asks Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell "have you found me some new inappropriate friends?" The BBC has contacted Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's team for a response
• Trump and Epstein’s private jet - a 2020 email chain titled "RE: Epstein flight records." says that US President Donald Trump was listed as a passenger on Epstein's private jet "many more times than previously has been reported" - and states that Trump made "at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996" - the sender and recipient are redacted but at the bottom of the email, it reads assistant US attorney, Southern District of New York, next to a blacked-out name. We have contacted the White House for a response to this particular file
• Epstein's passport - the latest release also contains more images of Epstein's passport, that was issued in February 1985 and expired in 1995

• DoJ says some files contain 'untrue' Trump claims - the justice department says that "some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election", in a statement published following this latest file drop

The investigation into Epstein

Jeffrey Epstein reached a plea deal with prosecutors in 2008, after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter.

Photos of girls were found throughout the house, and he was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He escaped a heavy jail sentence as a result of the deal.

Eleven years later, he was charged with running a network of underage girls for sex. He died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial and his death was ruled a suicide.

Why are the files being released now?

Pressure has been building for months from across the political spectrum for more transparency into the investigations.

After initially resisting calls for the files' release, US President Donald Trump reversed course and urged Republicans to support disclosure of the records.

Congress then passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required the justice department to release all its investigative material related to Epstein by the end of day on 19 December.

Partial release of 'the Epstein files’

A large collection of documents, including court and telephone records - and thousands of images - was uploaded on Friday night to the US Department of Justice website.

It's the result of two criminal investigations culminating in the so-called Epstein files.

It was only the partial release of the justice department's documents, and many pages were heavily redacted - with some blacked out in full.

This sparked criticism from victims and lawmakers alike. The White House says the Trump administration is "the most transparent in history", and the justice department says the omissions are necessary to protect victims and for continuing investigations.

Among the latest tranche of documents is an email sent to Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, from an email address titled "The Invisible Man".

Sent on 16 August 2001, the email begins: "I am up here at Balmoral Summer Camp for the Royal Family."

Lower down, the sender asks: "Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?" The sign-off reads: "See ya A xxx."

Here's the message in full:

The message was sent from this email address: abx17@dial.pipex.com.

In an email sent to this address on the same day, Maxwell writes: "So sorry to dissapoint [sic] you, however the truth must be told. I have only been able to find appropriate friends."

A different email address - aace@dial.pipex.com - is listed in Epstein's phone book under a contact labelled "Duke of York", an image of which was shared in an earlier release.

Among the documents released are emails sent from both addresses under the alias "The Invisible Man", including one from the second address sent on 28 February 2002 signed off: "Masses of love A xx."

The emails do not indicate any wrongdoing. The BBC has contacted Mountbatten-Windsor's team for a response.

In October, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lost use of his Duke of York title following scrutiny over his links with Epstein.

He has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, and said he did not "see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction".

Emily Atkinson
Live editor

As a reminder, more than 11,000 files have been released by the US department of justice today, including emails, videos and audio files.

There's a huge amount to comb through and verify.

Sometimes it's the smallest details - a redacted name, a typo - that can slow us down. More often, though, it's the long process of unravelling claims.

This includes cross-referencing the documents, checking them against previous reporting, having conversations with different BBC teams and contacting representatives for those connected.

We're still picking through all of the material. We'll share any notable disclosures as soon as we can.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) says nearly 30,000 additional pages of documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein have been released.

It urges caution on some that reference the US president, without specifying which ones.

"Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election," the DoJ says in a statement posted on X.

"To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.

"Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DoJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims."