WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump on November 19 signed a bill ordering the release of files from the Justice Department's investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The documents could offer new insight into Epstein's activities; he had socialized with Trump and other prominent figures before his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The issue has dogged Trump for months, in part because he has echoed conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters. Many Trump voters believe his administration concealed Epstein's ties to influential people and hid details about his 2019 death in a Manhattan jail, ruled a suicide while he awaited federal sex-trafficking charges.

At a news conference, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department will release its Epstein-related files within 30 days, in line with legislation passed by the Republican-led House and the Senate a day earlier.

"We will continue to follow the law and encourage maximum transparency," Bondi said.

However, the release may not be complete. The law allows the Justice Department to withhold personal information about Epstein's victims and any material that could compromise an active investigation. Trump last week directed the agency to investigate several Democratic figures linked to Epstein, and officials may choose to keep information related to those individuals under wraps.

The Justice Department frequently cites the need to protect ongoing investigations when declining to release certain records. Earlier this year, courts rejected Justice Department petitions to unseal grand jury transcripts related to probes involving Epstein and his former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.