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House Democrats have published a new tranche of what they called \u201cdisturbing\u201d photographs from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, featuring among others Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the British former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 19 photographs in the initial drop \u2013 some of which have been seen before \u2013 plus another 70 released later Friday afternoon represent a small number of the almost 100,000 images released to the House oversight committee, which is looking into the conduct and connections of Epstein, the disgraced financier who died by apparent suicide<\/a> in a New York jail cell in 2019 after he was charged with sex-trafficking offenses.<\/p>\n Among the notable figures shown in the first release are celebrities including the film director Woody Allen; the Microsoft founder Bill Gates; and Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin empire.<\/p>\n In Friday\u2019s second batch are photos showing construction work on the exterior of Epstein\u2019s island home. The batch also includes more photographs of the yellow dentist\u2019s office that was featured in a similar release of images and videos by the committee on 3 December, as well as a bathroom, a \u201cTrumpkin\u201d (a pumpkin decorated as Donald Trump), and Epstein in a bathtub.<\/p>\n Three of the images feature Trump\u2019s former political adviser Steve Bannon<\/a> \u2013 two of them with Epstein, and one with Allen in a social setting.<\/p>\n The photographs were released without context or captions, but according to Robert Garcia, the California Democrat and ranking member of the oversight committee, they raise more questions about Epstein\u2019s connections to wealthy individuals.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is time to end this White House cover-up and bring justice to the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein<\/a> and his powerful friends,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cThese disturbing photos raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world. We will not rest until the American people get the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n The White House responded to the release in a statement accusing Democrats of selectively \u201ccherry-picking\u201d the photographs for political purposes and \u201cto try and create a false narrative\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Democrat hoax against President Trump has been repeatedly debunked,\u201d White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, insisting that \u201cthe Trump administration has done more for Epstein\u2019s victims than Democrats ever have by repeatedly calling for transparency, releasing thousands of pages of documents, and calling for further investigations into Epstein\u2019s Democrat friends.\u201d<\/p>\n A bill to release all files held by the government in relation to Epstein passed the House and Senate last month<\/a> despite strong opposition from Trump. The justice department has until 19 December to comply. Hundreds of thousands of documents are expected to be released. A federal judge also ruled on Tuesday<\/a> that the department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex-trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell<\/a>, Epstein<\/a>\u2019s longtime confidante, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence over the charges.<\/p>\n Trump features in three of the 19 images initially released on Friday. In one, he is photographed with six women, some in Hawaii dress, and whose faces are blacked out. In the second, he is seen alongside Epstein listening to a woman with blond hair who appears to be sharing a joke. In the third, apparently taken aboard an aircraft, he is sitting alongside another woman with longer blond hair, and whose face is also blacked out.<\/p>\n