The partial release posted Friday marked the DOJ’s first public response to the statutory deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which instructs the department to disclose every non-exempt document tied to its Epstein investigations. Additional files were added early Saturday, but the overall trove remains incomplete, prompting bipartisan concern over compliance.
Representative Ro Khanna, Democrat of California and a co-author of the House legislation, told reporters that impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche could be considered if the department fails to meet the law’s requirements. Khanna stressed the need for “a clear timeline” detailing when all documents will be posted and an explanation for Friday’s omissions.
Representative Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky and Khanna’s co-sponsor, accused the department of openly disregarding statutory language. In a post on X, Massie contrasted the act’s command to release internal deliberations with a Justice Department letter claiming privilege to withhold certain decision-making records.
The missing photograph is notable because visual references to Trump were limited in the material released Friday. Although Trump socialized with Epstein in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the former president has not been accused of criminal conduct and has denied knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of underage girls.
The DOJ has repeatedly stated that political figures are not being shielded. In a Friday evening post on X, the department quoted Deputy Attorney General Blanche, a former criminal-defense lawyer for Trump, asserting that only legally mandated redactions—such as the names of victims—were being applied. Blanche reiterated in an interview with ABC News that there had been “no effort” to remove references to Trump.
Images of former President Bill Clinton appeared more frequently in the public files. One photograph showed Clinton seated next to a young woman on the armrest of his chair; the date and location were not specified. Clinton’s spokesperson said the former president had severed ties with Epstein before the financier’s crimes became widely known and emphasized that Clinton faces no accusations of wrongdoing.
Under the transparency statute, the Justice Department must publish the entire collection of investigation records unless a document is specifically exempted by law. Legal analysts note that the act’s language narrows the agency’s discretion to withhold internal communications, potentially setting up a clash between congressional oversight authority and executive-branch privilege claims. The full text of the statute can be reviewed through the U.S. Congress documentation portal.
Pressure for rapid release is building on multiple fronts. House committees are drafting subpoenas for any remaining material, and staff have requested server logs to verify whether files were taken down or never uploaded. Meanwhile, transparency advocates argue that piecemeal publication fuels speculation and undermines public confidence in the investigation.
The White House has referred all questions about the missing files back to the Justice Department. As of Sunday morning, the department had not indicated when, or if, the removed photograph and the other absent documents would be restored to the public archive.
Crédito da imagem: Davidoff Studios Photography / Getty Images
