Two Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are threatening legal action against the Trump administration over the delayed release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland cited comments made Friday by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said the Department of Justice expects to release “several hundred thousand” Epstein-related documents by the end of the day, with additional records to follow in the coming weeks.
However, federal law requires the Justice Department to release all records related to its Epstein investigation by 11:59 p.m. Friday.
"We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law," a joint statement from the lawmakers said. "The survivors of this nightmare deserve justice, the co-conspirators must be held accountable, and the American people deserve complete transparency from DOJ."
Blanche suggested the delay is tied to the volume of material under review and the need to protect victims’ identities.
"We are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected," he said.
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How We Got Here
The requirement to release the Epstein files follows a vote in November in which lawmakers forced the Justice Department to produce the files. The measure passed with only one lawmaker voting against it. Republican Rep. Clay Higgins cast the lone “no” vote, saying he was concerned that innocent people could be harmed and subjected to unwarranted speculation if their names appear in the records.
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President Donald Trump, whose allies have long pushed for the release of the files, ultimately signed the bill after initially opposing it. Trump, who previously had a social relationship with Epstein, is expected to be mentioned in the records. However, being named in the files does not necessarily indicate involvement in or knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
The law also allows the Justice Department to withhold certain information. Records containing victims’ personal information, child sexual abuse material, medical records, or details that could jeopardize ongoing investigations or prosecutions may be redacted.
