Once again, everyone is talking about Jeffrey Epstein, the late child-molesting financier, after the Justice Department released a huge trove of documents related to the Epstein investigation. The numerous mentions of Donald Trump in these files — and unsubstantiated allegations that he was involved in sexual assaults on underage girls — have energized many Trump foes and caused many of the president’s defenders to squirm. Others see the new documents as broader evidence of corruption among the elites.

But what do the files expose about possible crimes by the privileged, or are they more hype than substance?

The documents certainly contain many uncorroborated and improbable allegations made to law enforcement amid intense publicity. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 after a highly publicized exposé of the plea deal that allowed him to escape serious jail time after his first arrest in 2006. While it’s not unusual for multiple victims to come forward after a high profile arrest,........

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