Schumer to force Senate vote on suing DOJ

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday he will force the Senate to vote on suing the Justice Department to release the full files on notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Schumer’s announcement comes three days after the Justice Department missed last week’s deadline to release all documents required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in November.

By law, all documents were required to be released on Friday with minimal redactions. Only a small portion of the total files on Epstein have been disclosed so far.

“Instead of transparency, the Trump administration released a small portion of the files and obscured much of the small amount of files they did provide,” Schumer said in a statement. he said. “Republicans should once again show the same support for the bipartisan legislation we passed and demand that the Trump administration release all the Epstein files.”

Schumer’s decision would force Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R.S.D., to “initiate or intervene on behalf of the Senate in one or more civil proceedings in the Federal Court of Competent Competent” to compel the release of the Epstein files.

Schumer plans to push for the resolution to be considered when the Senate reconvenes in the new year. Senate Republicans had previously joined with Democrats to unanimously pass legislation requiring the release of the Epstein files.

Over the weekend, several photos, including one containing images of Trump’s face, were removed from the Justice Department’s repository of the Epstein files. The photographs were later restored. Trump has long denied any wrongdoing regarding Epstein.

In a statement Monday, a group of Epstein survivors called on Congress to take legal action.

“We demand immediate congressional oversight, including hearings, formal compliance requests, and legal action, to ensure the Justice Department meets its legal obligations,” the group said.

The Justice Department has defended the release of the Epstein files, arguing that it is working to review and edit materials as required by law to protect the privacy of Epstein’s victims.

“This is a challenging process because each document and photograph must be reviewed individually by the Department of Justice and the Southern District of New York for possible redactions to protect victims or potential victims,” the Justice Department said in a memo. he said.

CNBC has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment on Schumer’s decision.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. Other members of Congress who have pushed for the release of the Epstein files, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, have threatened to launch impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche over the release of the Epstein Files.

CNBC is reaching out to people identified in the photos or named in the latest version of the Epstein files. All had previously denied injustice. This article will be updated with their responses.