President Donald Trump signed legislation on Wednesday ordering the Justice Department to release documents from its long-running investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — files eagerly sought by both his political opponents and members of his own base who have pressed for greater transparency in the case.

Axar.az informs, citing Reuters, the material could shed more light on the activities of Epstein, who socialized with Trump and other notable figures before his 2008 conviction on charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.

The scandal has been a thorn in Trump’s side for months, partly because he amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters. Many Trump voters believe his administration has covered up Epstein’s ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death, which was ruled a suicide, in a Manhattan jail in 2019 as he faced federal sex trafficking charges.

Until recently, Trump had urged Republican lawmakers to oppose the measure, warning that releasing internal investigative records could set a precedent he viewed as harmful to the presidency, according to two congressional aides. But he reversed course this week as it became clear the bill had enough bipartisan support to pass with or without his backing.

Trump, a Republican, celebrated the signing in a social media post, saying the measure would help expose “the truth about certain Democrats and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein”.

Trump accused Democrats of weaponizing the Epstein scandal to undermine his accomplishments and divert attention from what he called Republican policy victories. He portrayed Epstein as a Democratic ally and said the upcoming document release would expose “their associations” with him.

“Perhaps the truth about these Democrats, and their associations with Jeffrey Epstein, will soon be revealed,” he wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday.