Senators call for audit into DOJ’s release
A bipartisan group of Senators on Wednesday called for an audit of how the Justice Department handled files related to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
One letter A group of 12 senators told DOJ Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume that the Justice Department violated a law called the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump in November. The law mandated that the Epstein files be released in full, with minimal editing, by December 19.
The lawmakers are led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. – He said the Department of Justice had preserved files, published documents that were already publicly available, and redacted some publications to the extent that “serious questions remain as to whether the Department has correctly applied the limited exceptions to redaction allowed under the Act.”
“Given the 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 group wrote.
Inspectors general are independent monitors who conduct audits and investigations of federal agencies. The Justice Department inspector general is “ideally positioned” to conduct an audit because he has full access to the files, the lawmakers wrote.
At the start of his second term, Trump fired more than a dozen inspectors general across the federal government but spared longtime Justice Department watchdog Michael Horowitz, who had held the job since 2012. Horowitz left office He will assume the same role at the Federal Reserve in June.
Trump touched Berthiaume He will become the Justice Department’s internal watchdog in October.
The Justice Department has released two major sets of Epstein files since Dec. 19, but the slow trickle of documents has angered lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
In a letter to Congress on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told lawmakers that the Justice Department would release the files “on an ongoing basis” through the end of the year, defying the law’s requirements. One send to x On Wednesday, the Justice Department updated that estimate. He added that more than a million more documents potentially related to Epstein were discovered by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI.
“Due to the large volume of material, this process may take several more weeks,” the post states.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) said on Monday that he would force the Senate to vote on suing the Justice Department to release the full files. And Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., threatened Attorney General Pam Bondi and Blanche with contempt from birth.
“Survivors deserve justice. The Department of Justice’s statement does not comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and does not provide survivors with what they are guaranteed under the new law,” Massie said. he said. send to x On Monday.
Trump, a former friend of Epstein’s, was largely absent from the initial documents the Justice Department released last Friday.
The latest set of files, released Tuesday, contains multiple references to Trump, including an email that suggests Trump traveled frequently on Epstein’s private plane in the 1990s.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing involving the disgraced New York financier. On Tuesday, the Department of Justice said in a statement: Publish on X “Some of these documents contain untrue and sensational allegations against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI just before the 2020 election.”
Trump suggests he’s open during 2024 presidential campaign Some Epstein files are being declassifiedbut we have struggled to keep them secret for most of this year. He expressed the turmoil regarding the Epstein files as follows: “joke” and pressured some House Republicans to drop their support for legislation that would eventually mandate their release.
As the Epstein Files Transparency Act prepares to move through Congress, Trump has belatedly signed off on the effort.
“As bravely and repeatedly called for by survivors, full transparency is crucial to identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes. Survivors deserve full disclosure,” the lawmakers wrote.
Murkowski was the only Republican to sign the letter, but the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct spelling of Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume’s name.
