The US Department of Justice has come under intense scrutiny after a court filing revealed it has released less than one percent of the vast trove of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. This disclosure comes despite a federal law mandating the publication of the majority of these records by 19 December.
A Fraction of Documents Made Public
In a letter to the federal judge overseeing the case, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that only 12,285 documents, totalling 125,575 pages, have been published to date. This represents a tiny fraction of the estimated two million documents deemed potentially responsive to the relevant Act. Bondi cited the priority of protecting victim identities as a key reason for the slow pace, stating the review process requires "substantial department resources."
Approximately 400 Justice Department lawyers and 100 FBI document analysts are reportedly involved in the mammoth task of reviewing and redacting sensitive material. The department had previously indicated that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI uncovered over a million additional documents not included in the initial review, potentially requiring "a few more weeks" to achieve full compliance.
Political Pressure and Accusations of 'Lawlessness'
Senior Democrats have launched a fierce attack on the Trump administration's handling of the release. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took to social media to accuse the Justice Department of breaking the law, highlighting that it failed to submit a required unredacted list to Congress detailing government officials and politically exposed persons named in the files.
"What are they trying to hide?" Schumer questioned. He criticised the releases so far as heavily redacted and containing "none of the key documents, and no new information on the 10 alleged Epstein co-conspirators." He vowed, "I will do everything in my power to ensure all the files come out."
In a bipartisan move, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie have reportedly considered filing an inherent contempt lawsuit against Attorney General Bondi in an effort to accelerate the process.
Limited Revelations and Ongoing Victim Advocacy
The documents released in the initial tranches have provided some further insight into Epstein's operation, which was facilitated by his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, now serving a 20-year sentence. However, they have yielded no major new revelations. One document detailed alleged efforts by Prince Andrew, a friend of Epstein and Maxwell, to have Maxwell arrange introductions with "inappropriate friends." The British royal has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
For victims like Marina Lacerda, who met Epstein when she was 14, the slow and limited release is a source of frustration. Speaking after the first batch was published, she expressed a desire for Prince Andrew to be "brought to justice" in the US. The department, through Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, maintains it is committed to "transparency and protecting victims," assuring that required redactions "will not stop these materials from being released."
