Epstein Files Reveal Something FBI Ignored For Years

Newly released government records tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein confirm that a formal FBI complaint alleging child pornography was filed as early as 1996 — and then effectively ignored for years. The disclosure comes as the Department of Justice, under mounting public pressure, released thousands of pages connected to Epstein this week, with officials signaling that more documents are still forthcoming.

Several lawmakers have openly criticized the slow drip of information, pointing out that federal legislation mandated the full release of Epstein-related records within 30 days — a deadline the DOJ has clearly missed.

Among the most disturbing revelations is an FBI complaint filed on Sept. 3, 1996, by Epstein victim and former employee Maria Farmer. The document explicitly categorizes the allegation as “child pornography” and details claims that Epstein arranged for photographs of children to be taken near swimming pools. Nearly every name in the complaint is redacted except Epstein’s — a fact that underscores how narrowly the focus was kept, despite Farmer’s broader warnings.

According to the newly released records, Farmer received no meaningful response from the FBI for years after submitting her complaint.

When The New York Times informed Farmer that her long-buried FBI complaint was finally made public, she “broke down in tears,” she said. “I’ve waited 30 years. I can’t believe it. They can’t call me a liar anymore.”

The complaint further alleges that Epstein instructed Farmer, who worked for him at the time, to photograph young girls at swimming pools. Farmer also reported that Epstein took photographs she believed were meant for her personal artwork — including images of her underage sisters, some of whom were nude.

Even more alarming, Farmer told investigators that Epstein threatened to burn down her home if she revealed the existence of the photographs. She repeatedly urged authorities to investigate Epstein’s activities and his extensive ties to wealthy and politically powerful figures across the country, Mediaite reported.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Farmer was not contacted by authorities until nearly a decade later, when Epstein was finally under investigation in Florida for sex-related crimes.

That case ended in a widely criticized plea deal that allowed Epstein to avoid serious prison time and merely register as a sex offender — a failure of the justice system that would later have devastating consequences. Epstein died in 2019 in an apparent suicide while in federal custody, awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Both Maria Farmer and her sister, Annie Farmer, have publicly accused Epstein of sexual assault. Annie Farmer, who was just 16 years old at the time of the alleged abuse, reacted emotionally to the public release of the original FBI complaint.

“I have to say, it has been an emotional day and a way that I was not expecting,” Annie told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday. “You know, my sister, Maria Farmer, reported Epstein and his crimes in 1996. We’ve been saying that over and over again. And part of what was released today was an official FBI form.

“And I think it was an FD71 dated September 3rd, 1996 with my sister’s, some of my sister’s report. It was labeled under child pornography, and it described Epstein stealing photos of myself at the age of 16, of my younger sister, who was 12 at the time,” she continued.

“And just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time…and how many people were harmed after that date? It just, you know, we’ve been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way has been very emotional,” she added.

At the time the FBI complaint was filed, Bill Clinton was president. As part of President Donald J. Trump’s administration’s Epstein Files release — carried out during Trump’s second term — several photographs involving Clinton were made public ahead of last weekend. The images reportedly show Clinton scantily dressed or seated closely with young women.

In response to the latest document dump, Clinton’s spokesperson issued a statement after one photo surfaced depicting Clinton relaxing in a hot tub with a woman believed to be a sex trafficking victim. The woman’s face is redacted, raising questions about whether she may have been a minor.

“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton. This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever,” the spokesperson claimed — without addressing the substance of the image or Clinton’s connection to the individuals involved.

As more records are expected to be released, the documents already made public reinforce a deeply troubling reality: federal authorities were warned decades ago — and failed to act.