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.
Latest News Stories
Sandburg Edges Lincoln-Way West in Tight Conference Duel
EXCLUSIVE: The Oversight Project calls for investigation into Fusus, Oak Brook contract
Will County Executive Committee Recommends 600 MW Pride of the Prairie Solar Project in 6-5 Split Vote
Aging Systems and Judicial Mandates Drive Significant FY2027 Budget Requests for Will County Courts and Sheriff
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Planning and Zoning Commission for May 5, 2026
Debate grows over bill on gender, abortion care access in child placement
Lawsuit: D300 secretly gender transitioned student; Seeks to nix IL gender ‘guidance,’ too
IL biometric privacy suits say tech companies used broadcasters’ work to train AI
Illinois Quick Hits: Report shows 8% of Cook County offenders on electronic monitoring AWOL
GOP congressional candidate calls single-stream recycling a ‘sham’
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Public Works & Transportation Committee for May 5, 2026
Will County Legislative Committee: Pushes Forward with Ban on Cryptocurrency Kiosks