Two US House of Representatives members, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie, have asked a federal judge to appoint a special master to compel the justice department to release all files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender.
In a Thursday letter to US district judge Paul Engelmayer, the lawmakers criticised the justice department for failing to meet the 19 December deadline for full disclosure under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. They described the department's conduct as a 'flagrant violation' of mandatory disclosure obligations, causing 'serious trauma to survivors'.
The representatives expressed 'urgent and grave concerns' about the justice department's compliance, noting that only 12,285 documents—less than 1% of related files—had been released, with 2 million more under review. They cast doubt on these figures, citing 'reasonable suspicion that the DOJ has overstated the scope of responsive materials'.
Khanna and Massie also pointed to the justice department's failure to submit required reports to Congress detailing redactions and withheld records. They argued that without such reports, 'effective oversight and judicial review' are hindered.
The lawmakers requested that the special master be authorised to notify the court about the true extent of document production and any improper redactions. They concluded that without an independent process, they do not believe the justice department will produce the required records.
