Epstein reading room with 3.5 million DOJ documents opens in DC
A temporary reading room exhibit in washington, D.C. opened this week to display thousands of pages from the U.S. Department of Justice’s inquiry into Jeffrey Epstein, including a focus on his documented connections to donald Trump.Hosted by the Institute for primary Facts, the 12,000-square-foot site will be open by appointment and includes 3,500 volumes totaling about 3.5 million documents.
The centerpiece is a 390-square-foot “Trump & Epstein Through the Years” timeline that organizers say provides context about why they want continued DOJ scrutiny. The display outlines allegations and convictions involving both men, along with the times they were together, but it does not accuse Trump of wrongdoing; Trump has denied involvement in epstein’s crimes.
To prepare the exhibit, the organizers downloaded and reformatted DOJ files, dealing with heavy redactions and large physical materials. They also worked with epstein survivors during development, and the D.C. location includes a second-floor tribute area with candles, spaces for visitor reflections, and plans to incorporate additional survivor preferences regarding what can be shown. The exhibit runs June 9-June 12 and is free to attend.
A temporary exhibit displaying 3.5 million documents related to the Department of Justice’s investigation into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein will open in Washington, D.C., this week, highlighting Epstein’s long documented association with President Donald Trump.
The “Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” put on by the Institute for Primary Facts, will be open to the public on Tuesday by appointment and is located at 737 7th Street in Northwest D.C. The 12,000-square-foot space features 3,500 volumes of Epstein files, each with 800 pages, released by the DOJ.
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David Garrett, an organizer for the reading room, told the Washington Examiner that the library is intended to put pressure on the DOJ to continue investigating Epstein’s crimes. He compared the tactic to constituents putting pressure on lawmakers to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which ultimately led to the files’ release.
“That’s like our democracy working right?” Garrett said of the transparency act that was passed after public pressure. “It’s our democracy saying if a bunch of people, a bunch of voters, get together and pressure the government, we can actually get something done that nobody ever thought would be done. That’s kind of what we’re hoping that we can do with this, is you know, push for real accountability.”
‘Trump & Epstein Through the Years’
The piece de resistance of the display is a 390-square-foot exhibit that features all the times Epstein and Trump were together.
“What this does is it provides context,” Garrett said. “When you look at this, maybe you understand why the president doesn’t want the Department of Justice investigating the Epstein files.”
The “Trump & Epstein Through the Years” timeline features three lines: the top showing Epstein’s allegations of sexual assault and felony conviction, the bottom showing the allegations against Trump and his felony convictions, and a middle line showing all of the times the two men were together.
Garrett said two main factors went into the decision to home in on the documents placing Trump and Epstein together. The first, which Garrett referred to as “cheeky,” is because “Trump likes to put his name on things.” The second was to show how much the pair had in common, Garrett said.
“Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein had a lot in common, right?” He said. “Both of them have dozens of credible allegations of sexual assault. Both of them have, both of them are convicted felons. One of them died in prison, and the other one is president.”
The display does not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing. Trump has denied having any involvement in Epstein’s crimes. Epstein died by suicide in 2019.
Putting the reading room together
The documents weigh 17,000 pounds and span 574 feet across 20 bookshelves. Visitors will be able to see all of the documents that drew roughly 10,000 visitors to a similar exhibit opened by the IPF in New York City.
The IPF started putting the exhibit together in March by downloading all of the files released by the DOJ. From there, the organization had to format all the pages into a consistent format. Redactions in the files also posed an issue, because they use a lot of ink and can rip up the paper, Garrett said.
Garrett said two box trucks were needed to move the documents from New York to Washington, D.C.
Working with survivors
Garrett said the IPF worked with women who are survivors of Epstein’s crimes while creating the display, and many attended the previous pop-up and plan to attend this week.
“It’s been really interesting and eye-opening for me,” Garrett said of putting the exposition together and working with survivors. “There have been moments where it’s really a lot. It’s very sad and hard.”
Garrett recalled a survivor viewing the Trump-Epstein timeline and pointing to a redaction and saying, “I’m right here.” He said there are plans to add the names of survivors who wish to be unredacted.
“Every one of these books has evidence of criminal behavior, and the thought that there’s no more investigation to be had is … infuriating for the survivors,” he said.
On the second floor of the D.C. showroom, there is a display of candles as a tribute to survivors and victims. Across the room, visitors can write notes to survivors and reflect on their experience.
The exhibit will be open in D.C. from June 9 to June 12 by appointment and is free to attend.
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