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
Monee Solar Farm Projects Granted Extensions
Frankfort Man Arrested in Gas Station Robbery Found Hiding in McDonald’s Restroom
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Executive Committee for December 11, 2025
Residents Lodge Complaints Regarding Truck Noise
New Lenox Homeowner Granted Variance for 4,000-Square-Foot Accessory Space
County Expands Paratransit Services, Board Members Question Long-Term Funding
Village Approves Agreement with Solar Energy Company
Mental Health Board Updates Committee on 2026 Grant Cycle and Funding Priorities
Beecher Police Investigate Attempted Armed Robbery, Seek Public’s Help
PZC Approves Homer Township Landscape Business Despite Neighbor Concerns; Adds Berm Condition
Chicago council, ‘starting to legislate,’ sends $16.7 billion budget to mayor
Hegseth promises to fix barracks, but work could take time