With the release of the Epstein files looming, experts warn that the expected documents will only be the tip of the iceberg in what could turn into a decades-long fight over transparency.

The passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act started a 30-day countdown to the release of records related to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his associates by the Justice Department.

The text of the law, however, gives the Justice Department and the attorney general, Pam Bondi, significant discretion in deciding what exactly to release and what to withhold from the public.

The law allows the attorney general to withhold the release of files that “depict or contain” child sexual abuse material or contain images of death, physical abuse or injury, for example.

However, the law also gives the attorney general the power to withhold information that they believe would “jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.” It also allows the department to withhold classified information, which is to be defined by a presidential executive order.

National security, however, provides the broadest justification for withholding information, with the law giving the attorney general the power to judge whether certain information poses a threat to national security. Given Epstein’s deep ties to both foreign governments and intelligence agencies, the umbrella of national security could potentially cover huge swaths of what the government knows about Epstein.