Lawmakers Accuse Justice Department of Violating Federal Law by Refusing to Release All Epstein Files

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the Justice Department will not release all of its files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by the legal deadline, triggering swift backlash from lawmakers who warned the administration may be violating federal law.

In a Friday morning interview on Fox News, Blanche said the DOJ planned to release “several hundred thousand documents” that day, including photographs and investigative materials tied to Epstein. However, he acknowledged the disclosure would not include the full set of Epstein-related files held by the department.

“I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” Blanche said. “There’s a lot of eyes looking at these and we want to make sure that when we do produce the materials, we are protecting every single victim.”

Blanche’s remarks appear to conflict with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by Donald Trump on Nov. 19. The statute requires the Justice Department to release all unclassified Epstein-related records within 30 days, with limited exceptions for victim privacy, national security, or active investigations.

Top Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, Reps. Robert Garcia of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, issued a joint statement Friday condemning the delay. “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law,” they said, adding that survivors deserve justice and the public deserves full transparency.

The law’s language has also been highlighted by bipartisan critics. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican who co-led the push for disclosure alongside Rep. Ro Khanna, posted the statute’s text on X, emphasizing the requirement that the attorney general make “all unclassified records” public “not later than 30 days” after enactment.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also accused the administration of breaking the law. “The Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some,” Schumer said, adding that Senate Democrats are working with victims’ attorneys and legal experts to determine what is being withheld.

Victims’ advocates expressed mixed reactions. Jennifer Freeman, who represents Epstein survivor Maria Farmer, said she was glad the DOJ was prioritizing survivor protection but criticized the partial release. Farmer, she noted, has waited nearly 30 years for access to her records after first reporting Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the FBI in 1996.

Legal scholars echoed the criticism online. Ryan Goodman wrote on social media that failing to meet the deadline constituted “a violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.”

As pressure mounts from both parties, the dispute now centers on whether the Justice Department’s phased release complies with the law—or whether further legal action will be taken to force full disclosure of the Epstein files.

Joseph Johnson

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