The Department of Justice told federal judges on Tuesday that additional files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are expected to be released “in the near term,” even as public anger and congressional scrutiny continue to build over delays and heavy redactions.
In a court filing submitted to Southern District of New York Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the department is still working through an extensive review process and could not provide a firm timeline for the next release.
The officials cited “ongoing quality control checks” and the need to carefully identify and redact the names of victims as the primary reasons for the delay. According to the filing, the DOJ has reviewed “millions” of documents, calling the task a “substantial undertaking” given both the sheer volume of material and the limitations of existing document management systems.
The department said those systems alone are not sufficient to ensure that all victim-identifying information is properly removed. As a result, DOJ personnel have been forced to conduct both electronic and manual searches across the files.
The review process includes identifying “hundreds of self-identified victims,” as well as individuals the department believes “are or may be victims,” even if that status is not fully confirmed. DOJ leaders said they are proceeding with caution and have worked directly with victims and their attorneys to ensure compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
That law, signed by President Donald Trump, requires the department to release Epstein-related records while protecting victims’ privacy. DOJ officials said they are attempting to move as quickly as possible without violating those protections.
“The Department is working diligently to complete this review as expeditiously as possible without compromising victims’ privacy so that its production can be complete,” the filing stated.
The Epstein files include a wide range of materials, such as photographs, notes, video recordings, audio files, and other documents. Under the law, the full release was initially expected by Dec. 19, 30 days after Trump signed the legislation. The DOJ launched an online portal called the “Epstein Library” to host the records.
However, documents were only released gradually in limited batches beginning Dec. 19, and many were heavily redacted. That partial rollout triggered bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, particularly from Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ro Khanna of California, the bill’s sponsors.
Massie accused Bondi of failing to comply with both the letter and spirit of the law, saying the department missed the deadline and delivered documents so redacted they were of little value to the public.
“Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago,” Massie wrote on X.
Massie and Khanna threatened to pursue “inherent contempt” proceedings against Bondi and asked Judge Engelmayer to appoint a special master to oversee the document release. That request was denied last week.
Blanche previously said the DOJ had more than 2 million documents to review, though Reuters later reported that as many as 5.2 million files still required examination.
Public confidence in the DOJ’s handling of the Epstein materials has taken a hit. A CNN survey released last week found that just 6 percent of Americans were satisfied with how the department has managed the release, underscoring widespread skepticism as the DOJ promises that more disclosures are still on the way.
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