DOJ fails to fully comply with Friday deadline for Epstein files release
The U.S. Department of Justice will not release the entirety of the federal government’s files on sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein by the end of day Friday, failing to fully comply with a mandate from Congress.
DOJ will release several hundred thousand documents, however, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Fox News interview. He estimated that “several hundred thousand more” will be released “over the next couple of weeks.”
The delay, Blanche explained, is due to the significant number of redactions that the department must complete in order to protect the identifications of witnesses and victims in the files.
By failing to fully comply with a congressional edict, lawmakers would have grounds to impeach or hold U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt of Congress.
Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on Nov. 18, which President Donald Trump signed into law the next day.
The bill, sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., requires that the U.S. Attorney General “make publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in the possession of the Department of Justice” that relate to Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Any Justice Department official who does not comply with this law will be subject to prosecution for obstruction of justice,” Khanna vowed.
Epstein died in jail awaiting trial in 2019 and Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton, billionaire businessman Bill Gates, and dozens of other high-profile figures have received intense public scrutiny for their connections with Epstein and Maxwell.
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Manhattan Board Finalizes Round Barn Annexation, Sets New Year’s Eve Ball Drop
PZC Approves Homer Township Landscape Business Despite Neighbor Concerns; Adds Berm Condition
JJC Foundation Executive Director Retires Following $2.3 Million Estate Gift
Lincoln-Way Board Approves $92.5 Million Tax Levy for 2025
Chicago council, ‘starting to legislate,’ sends $16.7 billion budget to mayor
Manhattan Board Approves Kubota RTV Purchase for Sidewalk Plowing
Hegseth promises to fix barracks, but work could take time
‘Long overdue’: Praise for HHS’ action to bar taxpayer-funded sex-change procedures
Gas prices drop, but taxes make Illinois pricier than Midwest neighbors
Liquor License Amendments Approved for Frankfort, Joliet, and Lockport Businesses
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Planning and Zoning Commission for December 16, 2025
Joliet Property Owner Cleared to Convert Non-Conforming Building into Two-Unit Residence
