NEW YORK: A US transparency advocacy group has opened a temporary exhibition in New York with just one text on display: a transcript of all the files released by the US Justice Department – some 3.5 million pages – on financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The library, called “The Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” has bound all documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act into 3,437 volumes, all numbered and organized on shelves.
“The truth is hard to deny when it’s printed and bound for you to see,” reads the website of the Institute of Primary Facts, the Washington-based nonprofit behind the display.
Those interested in viewing the files at the library in Tribeca can do so by registering online.
However, due to errors made by the Department of Justice in failing to redact the names of some of the victims included in the documents, the general public is not permitted to consult the files. The exhibition offers exemptions for some professionals such as journalists and lawyers.
The pop-up also shows the longtime relationship between President Donald Trump and Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges involving minors.
The pair were friends for decades before reportedly falling out in 2004 over a real estate deal, after which Trump reportedly denounced his former ally. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing after appearing repeatedly in the so-called “Epstein files”.
“We are a pro-democracy organization, with the goal of educating the public using these kinds of pop-up museums and other real-life experiences to help people understand the corruption in the United States, the dangers to democracy,” said David Garrett, one of the creators behind the project. AFP.
Garrett said he believes “there needs to be real public outcry” about how the Trump administration has handled the release of the document, which many accuse justice officials of covering up Trump’s ties to Epstein.
“And what we tried to do here was create or help create public outcry to have real accountability,” he added.
The exhibition is open to the public until 21 May.
