Members of Congress will gain access within days to the Justice Department's closely guarded, unredacted Jeffrey Epstein files. The long-awaited move could shed new light on one of the most explosive sex trafficking scandals in modern history.
Lawmakers will be permitted to begin reviewing the sensitive materials starting on Monday morning inside secure Justice Department offices, according to a letter obtained by NBC News and confirmed by other sources familiar with the plans. The access will allow elected officials, but not their staff, to examine millions of previously released documents in their original, unredacted form.
Under strict conditions outlined by the Justice Department, lawmakers must give 24 hours' notice before reviewing the files and will be required to examine them in person on government computers. They will be allowed to take handwritten notes but barred from bringing electronic devices or making digital copies.
The files lawmakers will review are part of more than 3 million documents the Justice Department has released to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump last year. The law required the attorney general to release 'all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials' related to Epstein.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche acknowledged last week that the department had 'withheld or redacted files covered by various privileges, including deliberative process privilege, the work-product doctrine, and attorney-client privilege.' He said approximately 200,000 pages had been withheld or redacted for those reasons.
Rep. Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored the transparency law, declared the move a hard-won victory. 'When Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail,' Khanna said in a statement. Congressional leaders have pressed for rapid access ahead of Attorney General Pam Bondi's scheduled testimony before the House Judiciary Committee next week.
