Institutional failure on display as Epstein files archive opens in New York

A physical archive titled the “Donald J Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room” has opened in a Tribeca gallery at 101 Reade Street, New York, displaying 3.5 million pages of law enforcement documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. Organised by the Institute for Primary Facts, a nonprofit focused on transparency and anti-corruption initiatives, the exhibition aims to promote accountability for victims. The archive includes documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, alongside timelines and a memorial space.

The exhibition displays the documents bound into 3,437 volumes, creating what survivors have described as a “paper city.” The Institute for Primary Facts approached five venues before securing the Tribeca gallery; previous locations withdrew due to fears of controversy or retaliation. Organisers noted that the Department of Justice failed to properly redact the files: survivors’ names remained visible while names of witnesses and co-conspirators were hidden.

Survivors have visited the site, describing the scale of the documents as a validation of their experiences. Lara Blume McGee, who was 17 when she was abused by Epstein, visited the reading room last week and described the silence in the space as “thick with memory.” She noted that the documents served as proof that their lives mattered enough to be gathered and cataloged, contrasting this with the lack of action taken when Epstein was reported to the FBI in 1996.

The project includes a 24-hour livestream reading of the files to ensure public access to the records. Dani Bensky, an Epstein survivor, opened the broadcast, marking the beginning of a continuous public recitation of excerpts from the files. Organisers stated that this initiative was designed to ensure the documents are not quietly buried again, with David Garrett, a co-founder of the exhibition, stating that the goal is to drive public outrage to pressure Congress and the Department of Justice for full transparency.

Virginia Giuffre, a prominent survivor, died by suicide in April 2025. Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in July 2017 and died by suicide in his New York jail cell in August 2019. While the archive provides visibility, survivors such as Blume McGee have warned that documentation alone is not justice, emphasising the need for government action to investigate, prosecute, and reform systems that allowed the abuse to persist.