he delayed pace at which the Trump administration is releasing files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein means it could be several years before it meets Congress’s mandate for full transparency.
On Monday, the Justice Department told a court it had released 12,285 files since being compelled to do so on December 19. However, it went on to say that there are “more than 2 million documents” that remain in “various phases of review.”
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Despite hundreds of attorneys and “substantial Department resources” being devoted to the effort, the released materials represent less than one percent of the total volume in the DOJ’s possession. Assuming all those under review will be disclosed, the entire process would take over eight years to complete.
“While the commitment of Department personnel to this effort has been substantial in breadth and impressive in effort, substantial work remains to be done,” the Justice Department said in Monday’s filing.
Newsweek has contacted the DOJ through its website outside of regular hours for comment.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has faced criticism for the slow and incomplete release of files relating to Epstein, which has sparked frustration among lawmakers and victims, as well as calls for investigations and potential penalties against the DOJ and its leadership.
What To Know
Per the terms of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill which passed both chambers and was signed into law on November 19, the Justice Department had 30 days to publicly release all unclassified records, files, communications and investigative materials on Epstein. Minimal redactions were permitted to safeguard victims’ identities and national security, and to ensure ongoing investigations were not jeopardized by the publication.
While the Department unveiled a trove of photos and documents relating to Epstein on the December 19 deadline, it was scrutinized for failing to release all those in its possession, for heavy redactions in the released files, and for removing images featuring President Trump.
One of Epstein’s victims called the file drop “a slap in our faces,” and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who introduced the legislation alongside Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, accused the DOJ of “selective concealment.”
At the time, the DOJ said it planned to release additional documents incrementally, attributing this delay to the difficult process of removing survivors’ names and other personal information.
On Christmas Eve, the Department said it had been informed of the existence of “over a million more documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case,” and said reviewing these “may take a few more weeks.”
And last week, The Associated Press and New York Times reported that the DOJ had expanded its review of Epstein-related documents to over five million records.
On Monday, the DOJ said it had enlisted over 400 lawyers to focus on reviewing the documents in its possession, and outlined its updated process for handling the mountain of materials.
What People Are Saying
The Department of Justice, in a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, wrote: “This work has required and will continue to require substantial Department resources. We noted in our prior letter the hundreds of attorneys dedicated to the review at the time of that letter. Currently, and anticipated for the next few weeks ahead, in the range of over 400 lawyers across the Department will dedicate all or a substantial portion of their workday to the Department’s efforts to comply with the [Epstein Files Transparency] Act.”
In its Christmas Eve post, the department wrote: “We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible. Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks. The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files.”
Representative Ro Khanna, in an interview with CNN, said: “I’m less concerned about the timeline and I’m more concerned about them not releasing the key documents. If they were acting in good faith and putting out the survivors’ statements, putting out these prosecution memos, then they would have some leg to rest on. They could say, ‘well, it’s a huge file, we’re taking time.’ The point is this doesn’t take a lot of time […] they’re just not releasing it.”
What Happens Next
While the Department of Justice has said its staff are working overtime to review and release all Epstein-related documents, pressure is building in Congress for an inquiry into the delayed process.
A handful of senators have called on the Department of Justice’s watchdog to investigate its failure to release all records pertaining to Epstein by the congressionally mandated deadline. Meanwhile, Massie and Khanna have said they are considering holding
