DOJ Misses Epstein Files Transparency Act Deadline, Continues Rolling Release of Documents
The deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act for December 19 was missed by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which is now releasing related documents on a rolling basis. The FBI and the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have reportedly submitted more than one million additional pages for review, potentially delaying the full release of files by several weeks.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche explained that these rolling productions follow established legal statutes and aim to prevent the release of unreviewed materials that could infringe on the act. The law permits withholding victim information, details that might jeopardize ongoing investigations, and other sensitive content.
Following the enactment of the law when President Trump signed it in November, the DOJ released a large batch of Epstein files on December 19. However, some politicians remain critical. Representative Ro Khanna and Representative Thomas Massie have threatened contempt actions, Senate Democrats led by Chuck Schumer are considering a lawsuit against the DOJ, and others have called for an inspector general investigation into the department's handling.
The DOJ has maintained that releasing unreviewed documents would violate the law, and lawyers continue to review the files with redactions around the clock to comply with legal requirements.
