The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has failed to fully comply with a federal deadline to publicly release its investigatory files on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. This comes despite a law passed by Congress mandating the creation of a public, searchable database within 30 days.
Deadline Defied Amid Promises of Transparency
Friday marked the deadline set by The Epstein Transparency Act, legislation that Congress passed and President Donald Trump ultimately signed last month after initial resistance. The law gave the administration 30 days to publish the material.
However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated the DOJ would not fully meet this obligation. In a Friday interview, Blanche stated that while several hundred thousand documents were being released that day, several hundred thousand more would follow over the coming weeks.
He defended the president's position, claiming without evidence that Trump has "for years" wanted full transparency. This assertion contradicts the administration's previous actions, where the president dismissed calls for release as a Democratic "hoax" and only supported the bill when its passage was inevitable.
Legal Backlash and Accusations of a Cover-Up
Democratic lawmakers immediately accused the Trump administration of breaking the law. Representatives Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) issued a joint statement declaring, "Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are now violating federal law" by continuing to cover up evidence related to Epstein's "decades-long, billion-dollar, international sex trafficking ring."
The lawmakers stated they are examining all legal options. The act itself does not specify penalties for noncompliance but does allow the DOJ to redact personally identifying information of victims and details of ongoing investigations. Crucially, it forbids withholding records due to "embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity."
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a co-sponsor of the bill, noted that victims would be able to tell if the release is incomplete. "The victims know 20 accused that should be in those files. If we don't see them in the files, they're not releasing them," Massie told HuffPost.
A Long-Awaited Moment for Survivors
For survivors of Epstein's abuse, the release is a pivotal event. Maria Farmer, who alleges she was assaulted by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell in the 1990s, called it "a moment for which I have waited three entire decades, over half of my life."
The documents originate from a DOJ investigation that declined to prosecute Epstein in 2008 despite evidence, before later bringing charges in 2019. Epstein died by apparent suicide in federal custody in 2019 while facing those charges.
While Trump, a former friend of Epstein, has not been accused of wrongdoing related to the case, emails released by House Democrats this year claimed Epstein said Trump knew of his criminal activity. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles recently commented that Trump is mentioned in the DOJ files but is not implicated in "anything awful."
The unfolding release sets the stage for continued political and legal battles over transparency and accountability in one of the most high-profile criminal cases of the decade.
