At a Glance
- One month after the 30-day release deadline, only ~12,285 documents of millions have been posted
- Reps. Massie and Khanna threaten contempt, accuse AG Bondi of illegal redactions
- Survivors say redactions hide abusers’ names while exposing victims’ identities
- DOJ argues manual review of 1,000-plus victim files justifies delay
Why it matters: Victims and lawmakers say the selective release shields powerful Epstein associates and undermines the transparency law meant to expose them.
One month past the court-ordered deadline, the Justice Department has released only a sliver of its Jeffrey Epstein files, igniting bipartisan fury from Congress and renewed anguish among survivors who accuse officials of protecting the dead financier’s powerful friends.
Deadline Missed
President Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 19, giving Attorney General Pam Bondi 30 days to publish every unclassified record “in a searchable and downloadable format.” The statutory clock ran out on Dec. 19, yet the department now admits “millions” of pages remain offline.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News on the due date that posting would take “a couple of weeks,” citing the need to redact information on more than 1,000 victims. Since then, the department has posted:
- 12,285 documents (~125,575 pages)
- A transcript of an interview between a senior official and Ghislaine Maxwell
- No internal memos explaining earlier FBI/DOJ claims that no one else could be charged
In a Thursday court filing, DOJ lawyers revealed they have assigned 500 reviewers to handle “millions of pages,” but gave no completion date.
Bipartisan Backlash
Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., co-authors of the transparency law, are moving to hold Bondi in inherent contempt and have asked a judge to appoint a special master to seize control of the release.
“Attorney General Bondi is making illegal redactions and withholding key documents that would implicate associates of Epstein,” Massie told Caleb R. Anderson.
Khanna called the DOJ stance “an obstruction of justice,” adding: “They also need to release the FBI witness interviews which name other men, so the public can know who was involved.”
Justice attorneys countered Friday that the two lawmakers lack legal standing to demand a special master.
Survivors Allege ‘Selective’ Redactions
A coalition of Epstein survivors and victims’ relatives told the DOJ inspector general last week that the released files protect abusers while re-exposing survivors:
- Names of alleged facilitators are blacked-out
- Survivors’ identifying details remain visible
- No required log explains what was cut or why
“These failures have caused renewed harm to survivors and undermined trust in the institutions responsible for safeguarding sensitive information,” their letter states.
The department did not respond to that complaint or to multiple requests for comment from News Of Fort Worth.
What’s Still Hidden
Among the withheld material:
- FBI witness interviews naming additional men
- Internal discussions about the July FBI/DOJ memo that declared no further charges possible
- Communications surrounding Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement that yielded a 13-month jail term with daily work release
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting sex-trafficking charges. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence for conspiring to traffic minors.
Key Takeaways
- DOJ admits millions of pages remain unreviewed, offering no timeline
- Lawmakers from both parties prepare contempt action against AG Bondi
- Survivors say current redactions shield powerful names while outing victims
- The department’s own filing calls full compliance “a substantial undertaking”
