DOJ releases heavily redacted Jeffrey Epstein files, drawing criticism from Congress over compliance with transparency law.
The Department of Justice released hundreds of pages of Jeffrey Epstein case files on Friday, but the heavily redacted documents have drawn sharp criticism from both Democrats and Republicans who say the release falls short of what Congress demanded.
The files were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, authored by Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, which passed Congress nearly unanimously last month. The law gave the DOJ 30 days to release the documents after President Trump signed it on November 19.However, one key document — 119 pages of grand jury testimony — was completely redacted, prompting immediate backlash from lawmakers.RELATED STORY | Limited Epstein files release includes redactions, images of notable figures'The DOJ's document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law Thomas Massey and I passed,' Khanna said on social media.Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche submitted a letter to Congress explaining the redactions, citing child abuse and sexual exploitation images, as well as ongoing investigations. One of those ongoing investigations allegedly involves former President Bill Clinton.White House Deputy Press Secretary Abigail Jackson responded to Democratic criticism, saying, 'We did see something in these files. Just not what you wanted to see.' Jackson then referenced images of Clinton that appeared in the released documents.The release has reignited questions about why wealthy and powerful individuals maintained relationships with Epstein. Howard Lutnick, now in Trump's cabinet, previously described Epstein as 'a creep' and said he knew about his reputation when Epstein was his neighbor.The question that has to be asked is why were so many rich and powerful people appearing differently with Jeffrey Epstein as opposed to what Howard Lutnick saw.Earlier Friday, Democrats had explored legal options and a potential lawsuit after Blanche announced the full files would not be released by the end of the day, saying the DOJ needed more time for redactions.RELATED STORY | Minimal mention of Trump in Justice Department’s initial Epstein file releaseVictims' advocates have long pushed for transparency in the case. They argue that despite today's release, they still lack adequate legal representation and justice from the Department of Justice.The victims have funded their own Capitol Hill appearances and news conferences out of their own pockets as they continue seeking accountability in the case.
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