Court records related to Jeffrey Epstein are set to be released, but they aren't a client list

This photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein, March 28, 2017. Social media is abuzz with news that a judge is about to release a list of "clients," or "associates" or maybe "co-conspirators," of Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. While some previously sealed court records are indeed being made public, the great majority of the people whose names appear in those documents are not accused of any wrongdoing. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)

Social media has been rife in recent weeks with posts speculating that a judge is about to release a list of clients or co-conspirators of Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

There is no such list, and the truth is less scandalous.

Previously sealed court documents related to Epstein are being released, but the great majority of those whose names appear in the documents aren’t accused of wrongdoing or have been mentioned previously in legal proceedings or news accounts.