Lawmakers have expressed fury after the US Justice Department released a heavily redacted and incomplete trove of Jeffrey Epstein files, appearing to violate a law mandating near-complete disclosure by Friday. The Epstein Transparency Act, signed by President Donald Trump 30 days ago, requires the release of all investigative files unless they jeopardise criminal investigations, national security, or victim privacy.
Congressman Ro Khanna, co-author of the legislation, said the release “does not comply” with the law and described it as “incomplete, with too many redactions”. He and fellow co-author Thomas Massie are exploring options including impeachment of justice officials, contempt of Congress, and prosecution for obstruction of justice. Massie warned that a future Justice Department could convict the current attorney general and others for non-compliance.
Frustration mounted as the department removed at least 16 files from its public webpage without explanation, according to an Associated Press tally. Among the missing items was an image showing a photograph of Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell. Democrats on the House oversight committee questioned what else was being covered up, while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the handling “one of the biggest cover ups in American history”.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged on Friday that not all files would be released that day, promising several hundred thousand documents over the next couple of weeks. He said the department was protecting victims by carefully reviewing materials. However, lawmakers including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticised Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for the lacklustre rollout, with Ocasio-Cortez stating: “Now the coverup is out in the open. This is far from over.”
