On the same day the DOJ announced the new discovery, a bipartisan group of 12 senators asked Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume to audit the department’s compliance with the law. The senators, led by Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, wrote that significant questions remain about whether permissible redaction standards are being met. Inspectors general serve as independent watchdogs with unrestricted access to agency records, and the lawmakers contend an external review is essential.
The current DOJ inspector general position became vacant in June when longtime watchdog Michael Horowitz moved to the Federal Reserve. Former career official Berthiaume was appointed in October to lead the office on an acting basis.
House criticism intensifies
In the House of Representatives, members of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee are conducting a parallel investigation. Ranking Democrat Robert Garcia described the latest delay as evidence of what he called a continuing effort to shield unidentified co-conspirators and prominent individuals who allegedly exploited minors. Garcia is pressing for Attorney General Pam Bondi to appear before Congress and explain the department’s handling of the files.
Separate letters from Representatives Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, and Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, threaten inherent contempt proceedings against Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche if the statutory deadline is not met. Blanche previously informed Congress that documents would be released on a rolling basis through the end of December; the newly discovered material means that schedule now extends into the new year.
Election-year political friction
Former President Donald Trump, who signed the transparency law, has figured prominently in the congressional dispute. During his 2024 campaign he indicated support for declassifying Epstein records but later characterized demands for disclosure as a “hoax.” Some lawmakers accuse the Trump administration of resisting full transparency to protect associates named in the files.
The second batch of documents, posted Tuesday, contains multiple references to Trump, including internal emails suggesting he flew frequently on Epstein’s private aircraft in the 1990s. The DOJ has asserted that some claims in those documents are unverified and were submitted to investigators shortly before the 2020 election.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said he will seek a chamber vote to authorize litigation forcing the DOJ to comply with the statute. Other legislators maintain that a complete, unredacted release is necessary both to meet legal requirements and to provide justice for victims of Epstein’s trafficking enterprise.
Next steps for document review
The DOJ has not provided a specific date for the next disclosure but emphasized that lawyers are working “around the clock” to complete redactions. Under agency policy, personal identifiers of victims and certain investigative techniques are among the limited categories that may be removed. Once review of the newly identified files is finished, the department intends to publish additional installments online.
Further pressure may come from oversight bodies. If the inspector general opens an audit, investigators would examine the department’s search methods, redaction criteria and adherence to statutory timelines. That process could recommend corrective action or, if misconduct is found, refer matters for disciplinary proceedings.
Additional information on the Justice Department’s public records process is available on the agency’s Office of Information Policy website, which outlines standards for disclosure and redaction under federal law.
Crédito da imagem: Tom Williams / CQ Roll Call / Getty Images
