US lawmakers are pushing back against the Justice Department’s handling of recently released materials tied to Jeffrey Epstein, arguing that the disclosure does not go far enough.
The criticism follows a letter sent Saturday to members of Congress by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In it, they said the department had turned over every record it holds that falls under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, including a compiled list of individuals whose names appear in the documents.
That assurance was quickly challenged by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, one of the lawmakers who helped write the legislation. He said the release leaves out crucial internal records, such as memos, emails, and notes that document how and why earlier decisions were made about investigating or prosecuting Epstein and those connected to him.
Earlier this month, the department made public millions of pages related to Epstein. Bondi and Blanche maintained that the release satisfied the law’s requirements and emphasized that nothing was withheld to avoid embarrassment, protect reputations, or sidestep political controversy.
They also cautioned that the names included span a wide range of circumstances. Some reflect extensive communication with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, while others appear only in passing, such as in third-party documents or media coverage.
Officials underscored that simply being named does not suggest criminal conduct.
Among those listed are well-known figures including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Britain’s Prince Andrew.
Each has previously acknowledged having encountered Epstein in the past and has denied any role in his crimes. The appearance of names like Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley both long deceased has intensified scrutiny of how the list was assembled.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, another co-author of the law, accused the Justice Department of muddling the line between alleged offenders and people mentioned incidentally.
He described the inclusion of unrelated or historically implausible figures as “absurd” and called for the full disclosure of records, with only the identities of victims withheld.
In interviews with the media, Massie said the department was improperly citing deliberative process privilege to keep internal documents secret, a move he argued runs counter to what Congress intended when it passed the law.
So far, the Justice Department has not issued a public response to this latest round of objections. In the past, both lawmakers and attorneys representing victims have complained about excessive redactions and mistakes in earlier document releases, some of which were later pulled back after criticism.
The ongoing dispute over the Epstein files has kept pressure on the Justice Department from both parties, with transparency and accountability remaining at the center of the debate.
