The Journal. · The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

The Growing Fallout From the Epstein Files

February 13, 2026·26 min·2 clips
Epstein's tentacles reached into all aspects of society, exposing widespread systemic corruption among the global elite.
Jeffrey Epstein left questions behind. Investigative reporter Khadija Safdar traces how reporting that started in 2019 with his wealth widened to his clients, his connections, and the questions around his death. Then the files raised the stakes. The Justice Department released more than three million pages, plus 180,000 images and 2,000 videos, which the guest says is far from standard procedure. Politics followed the documents. Reporting on Epstein's birthday book led to congressional oversight, a subpoena, and material from the Epstein estate. Victims kept pushing for more. Some Republicans split from Trump, and after resisting at first, he signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. Safdar says the record backs up earlier reporting from 2019 and 2023, and shows some ties ran deeper than previously reported.

As heard by us

A sharp account of how the Epstein files turned private access into public and political pressure.

The Journal. treats Jeffrey Epstein as a money-and-access story: how he built wealth through rich clients, how wide his network ran, and why new Justice Department files have revived pressure for answers.

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Why you'd press play

The Justice Department released more than three million pages from the Epstein files. This episode walks you through what they show.

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