US Justice Dept Misses Deadline, Seeks More Time on Epstein Files

The Christmas Eve announcement came hours after a dozen U.S. senators called on the Justice Department’s watchdog to review noncompliance with the deadline. The group of 11 Democrats and one Republican said in a letter to Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume that victims deserve a “full explanation” and the “peace of mind” of an independent review.

The Justice Department said in a social media post that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI “uncovered more than a million more documents” that may be related to the Epstein case; It’s a striking 11th-hour development after department officials claimed months ago that they had conducted a comprehensive review that disclosed a vast universe of Epstein-related materials.

In March, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that she had been handed a “truckload of evidence” after ordering the Justice Department to “deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office”; Bondi said he gave the order after learning from an unidentified source that the FBI in New York “had thousands of pages of documents.”

In July, the FBI and Justice Department stated in an unsigned memo that they had conducted a “thorough review” and determined that no additional evidence should be released; This was an extraordinary case about the face of the Trump administration, which has been promising maximum transparency for months. The memo did not raise the possibility that additional evidence existed that authorities were not aware of or had not reviewed.

Wednesday’s post did not specify when the Justice Department was notified of the newly revealed files.

In a letter last week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Manhattan federal prosecutors have more than 3.6 million records related to their sex trafficking investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, but most of them are copies of materials already turned over by the FBI.

The Justice Department said its lawyers were “working around the clock” to review documents and remove victims’ names and other identifying information under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law that took effect last month and requires the government to open its files on Epstein and Maxwell.

“We will publish the documents as soon as possible,” the ministry said. “Due to the sheer volume of material, this process may take several more weeks.”

The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny over the Justice Department’s gradual release of records related to Epstein, including from his victims and members of Congress.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the lead authors of the legislation mandating the document’s release, posted on X on Wednesday: “DOJ broke the law by making illegal redactions and missing the deadline.” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., another architect of the legislation, said he and Massie would “keep up the pressure” and noted that the Justice Department would release more documents after lawmakers threatened contempt.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY, said after the Justice Department’s announcement: “A news dump on Christmas Eve containing ‘a million more files’ only proves what we already knew: Trump is engaging in a massive cover-up.” “The question Americans deserve answered is simple: WHAT are they hiding and WHY?”

The White House on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein records.

“President Trump has assembled the largest cabinet in American history, including Attorney General Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Blanche, who have done a fantastic job of implementing the president’s agenda,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. he said.

After releasing the first wave of records on Friday, the Justice Department released more records on its website over the weekend and on Tuesday. The Justice Department had no indication of when more records might arrive.

Released records, including photographs, interview transcripts, call transcripts, court records, and other documents, were either already publicly available or largely blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. The previously unseen records include transcripts of grand jury testimony by FBI agents who described their interviews with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.

Other records made public in recent days include a memo from a federal prosecutor in January 2020 that said Trump flew on the financier’s private plane more often than previously known, and emails between Maxwell and someone who signed with the letter “A.” These include further references suggesting that the author is Britain’s former Prince Andrew. In one, “A” reads: “How’s Los Angeles? Have you found me any new inappropriate friends?”

Senators’ call for an inspector general audit on Wednesday came just days after Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with disclosure and deadline requirements. The staggered, heavily edited release was an “obvious cover-up,” he said in a statement.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., are leading the call for an inspector general audit. Those who signed the letter included Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

“Given the (Trump) Administration’s historical hostility to the release of the files, the broader politicization of the Epstein case, and its failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, an impartial evaluation of its compliance with statutory disclosure requirements is vital,” the senators wrote. They said full transparency was “vital in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes.”