Epstein files release vindicates accuser as DOJ publishes 1996 complaint

The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday released a large trove of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, part of an ongoing effort to disclose records tied to the cases. Included in the material is a 1996 complaint by artist Maria Farmer alleging Epstein stole and sold photos of her sisters. The document is dated Sept. 3, 1996, more than a decade before Epstein first faced criminal charges, and was released as part of the department’s obligations to publish Epstein-related records.

Farmer’s complaint is among tens of thousands of pages released by the DOJ, though many names and details are heavily redacted. The New York Times confirmed with Farmer that she was the filer. Farmer told the Times she felt vindicated by the public release, saying she had waited 30 years and that the disclosure means she can no longer be labeled a liar. The documents show that Farmer, who described herself as an artist whose work included images of younger sisters, alerted authorities to troubling conduct involving Epstein and imagery tied to the sisters.

The 1996 complaint described Epstein as having stolen the photos and negatives and as someone believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers. It also indicated Epstein at one point sought photographs of young girls at swimming pools and warned that if she told anyone about the photos he would burn her house down. Names in the complaint were redacted, but Farmer has publicly identified herself as the filer.

Farmer and her sister Annie filed separate lawsuits in 2019 accusing Epstein and Maxwell of sexually assaulting them; those suits were dismissed as part of a settlement involving Epstein’s estate. In July, Farmer filed a separate lawsuit against the DOJ, alleging the Clinton-era FBI chose to do nothing with her 1996 complaint and that Epstein’s predatory network continued to victimize others in the years that followed. She said she also submitted the complaint again to the FBI in 2006 during the Bush administration.

The release coincides with the Epstein Files Transparency Act deadline, and DOJ officials say more documents will be published within the next two weeks. Officials have stressed that many records are heavily redacted to protect privacy and ongoing investigations. Some accusers, such as Marina Lacerda, have said the release is incomplete and leaves important context redacted, while others view the disclosure as a necessary step toward accountability and historical record-keeping. The department has noted that this is the first tranche and that additional files are forthcoming.

Epstein died in federal custody in 2019, and Maxwell was later convicted in 2021 on sex-trafficking charges connected to Epstein’s network. The newly released files illuminate how authorities handled early allegations involving Epstein and his associates during the 1990s, a period before the more widely publicized prosecutions. The materials also underscore ongoing questions about how federal investigations are conducted and how much information can be shared with the public when decades-old cases are reopened or reexamined.

For Farmer, the public acknowledgment is a personal moment of validation amid a long, painful history. She has described the case as emblematic of the challenges victims face when seeking accountability through federal channels. As lawmakers and advocates review the newly released material, attention remains on how much further transparency will be provided and what new light the remaining files may shed on Epstein’s activities and the responses of the institutions involved.