Get ready to read the Epstein files.

President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law this week, starting the 30-day clock for the administration to publicly release information about the case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In recent months, the issue has become a political juggernaut, as prominent figures and politicians have faced renewed scrutiny for their ties to the late disgraced financier.

The bill’s passage defied political odds: House Republican leadership spent months trying to prevent a vote on the legislation at the White House’s behest, only for Trump to abruptly reverse course and give the effort his blessing. Now, the Justice Department has to scramble to prepare more than 300 gigabytes worth of documents — which could include heavy redactions — before a looming December deadline.

Here’s POLITICO’s guide to get you up to speed on the Epstein files.

When will we see the files?

The administration has about a month to prepare the disclosure for the public. The bill Trump signed into law Wednesday demands Attorney General Pam Bondi release a host of wide-ranging materials in her department’s possession related to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell.

DOJ has 30 days to “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials,” the bill states. Relevant documents include internal communications among DOJ staffers and data from institutions — such as businesses or universities — that were tied to Epstein’s alleged trafficking scheme.

Bondi must also hand over a “list of all government officials and politically exposed persons” in the files to the House and Senate Judiciary committees.

Asked Wednesday how and when the Justice Department plans to distribute the files, Bondi spoke in vague terms. “We will continue to follow the law with maximum transparency while protecting victims,” she said.

Still, Bondi’s claim that her agency is following through on past disclosures undercuts a July statement from DOJ and the FBI “that no further disclosure” of Epstein-related materials “would be appropriate or warranted.”

Justice Department spokespeople did not respond to a request for further comment.

Will the files be redacted?

There will certainly be redactions among the materials due to be released, particularly around the names of potential victims.

Bondi can redact identifiable information to protect victims’ privacy along with depictions of abuse, death or injuries. She can also withhold information to protect ongoing federal cases, along with information that may risk national defense or international policy. Congress has ordered that any redactions be justified in writing and publicly disseminated.

But in an apparent effort to ensure that the identities of potential Epstein accomplices are outed, the bill states that Bondi cannot withhold information “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.”

What new material do we actually expect?

The documents disclosed by the Justice Department will likely be a mix of new information and previously disclosed material, since reams of documents from investigations into Epstein and Maxwell have already been released.

DOJ brought federal sex trafficking charges against Epstein over his alleged abuse of underage girls, and Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on those charges. Epstein had previously pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges in Florida after reaching a federal non-prosecution agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office there that allowed him to serve minimal jail time.

Substantial material in DOJ’s investigative files from the Epstein and Maxwell cases was disclosed as evidence in the Maxwell trial, where she was convicted on sex trafficking charges, or through various civil lawsuits. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. In recent weeks, Congress also released thousands of other documents obtained directly from Epstein’s estate.

But there are significant tranches of material that have never been seen by the public. That includes any prosecution memos laying out the evidence to support charging individuals examined during the investigation; transcripts of witness interviews; and materials obtained through the searches conducted of Epstein’s five palatial properties.

Bondi also could release documents provided in response to subpoenas issued in the federal investigations, which could include materials from financial institutions, as well as email accounts and phone records.

Can DOJ withhold some material?

Yes, the Justice Department can choose not to release certain material if it determines that making the material public “would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution, provided that such withholding is narrowly tailored and temporary, ”according to the bill Trump signed.

Last week before the bill signing Trump ordered the department to open an investigation into prominent Democrats’ ties to Epstein, and Bondi assigned the task to Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. While it could be viewed as a loophole, the situation may present a bit of a conundrum for the Trump administration, since any material that looks incriminating for Democrats is likely precisely the material they’d seek to release, not withhold.

Bondi suggested Wednesday that the Manhattan investigation could be the basis to hold back some records, but she was circumspect about how it would impact the congressionally-mandated document dump. “We’re not going to say anything else on that because now it is a pending investigation in the Southern District of New York,” she said.

There is also a high likelihood that the Justice Department will withhold some material recovered from Epstein’s homes in Palm Beach, Manhattan, on his private island or other locations, because federal agents say that’s where they found child pornography. In Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion, for example, agents found thousands of sexually suggestive photographs, some in a locked safe they sawed open. Many were on compact discs with handwritten labels, the details of which prosecutors redacted in court filings as “Young [Name] + [Name].”

When judges were considering releases of sealed information in civil litigation involving Epstein, some of his associates — acting anonymously — came forward to object to additional disclosures. It’s possible Epstein’s acquaintances could try something similar this time, but they would face an uphill battle.