Releasing the Epstein files would harm Ghislaine Maxwell's bid for a retrial, her lawyers have claimed.

Maxwell , a disgraced British socialite and ex-girlfriend of the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein , is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking .

Image: Undated picture of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein. File pic: US Department of Justice

The US Department of Justice has until mid-December to release thousands of documents linked to civil and criminal cases involving Epstein.

Donald Trump previously opposed the move, but changed his mind last month after US Congress overwhelmingly voted in favour.

After weeks of attacking Democrats and Republicans for calling for the release of the files, the US president eventually signed the Epstein Transpar

See Full Page