A US transparency advocacy organisation has opened a temporary public exhibition in New York displaying millions of pages of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, drawn from files released by the US Department of Justice.
The installation, titled the “Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” is located in Tribeca and presents approximately 3.5 million pages of material compiled into 3,437 bound volumes. The files, organised and numbered on shelves, are part of disclosures made under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
According to organisers, visitors can access the exhibition only after online registration. However, the general public is not permitted to directly view the documents due to reported redaction errors by the Department of Justice that allegedly left victim identities exposed. Access is reportedly restricted to select professionals, including journalists and lawyers.
The exhibition includes a timeline of events related to Epstein’s life and criminal proceedings, as well as materials referencing his long-standing association with US President Donald Trump. Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges involving minors, had previously maintained social ties with Trump before a reported fallout in the mid-2000s.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has distanced himself from Epstein in public statements.
The exhibit is organised by the Washington-based nonprofit Institute of Primary Facts, which describes itself as a pro-democracy organisation focused on public education through “pop-up museums” and in-person civic displays.
“We’re a pro-democracy organisation, with the goal of educating the public using these kinds of pop-up museums and other in-real-life experiences to help people understand corruption and threats to democracy,” said David Garrett, one of the project’s organisers, in comments to AFP.
He added that the aim of the installation is to encourage public scrutiny of how the documents have been handled and to promote accountability in the release of Epstein-related records.
The exhibition will remain open to the public until May 21.