Judiciary, Oversight Democrats Demand DOJ Take 5 Steps Toward Epstein File Transparency

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, wrote to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding that the Department of Justice implement a new process allowing Congress to meaningfully review the unredacted files related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The Department's current review system violates the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) and has effectively blocked Congress from conducting meaningful oversight of the files.

"Under your leadership, the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to cover up for Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell's co-conspirators and enablers. You are clearly violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) and obstructing Congress's oversight of your production of the Epstein files. It is now time for a complete reset and a new process aimed at complying with this law, instead of thwarting it, and providing survivors and the American people with the transparency, accountability, and justice to which we are all entitled," wrote the Members.

Under the EFTA, DOJ was required to release all records related to Epstein subject only to narrow exceptions protecting survivors' identities, classified information, and active investigations. Instead, DOJ has withheld roughly three million pages of documents and redacted hundreds of thousands more based on privileges Congress expressly rejected in the law.

Journalists, survivors, and members of the public have also continued to identify additional documents that appear to have been improperly withheld or redacted. Survivors reviewing the files have reported that witness interview records known as FD-302s-including documents describing allegations against Epstein's co-conspirators-appear to be missing from the released materials.

DOJ's current process for congressional review makes meaningful oversight impossible. Members are only allowed to review documents on four DOJ computers located at a satellite office that is open only during business hours. At that pace, it would take more than seven years for Members to review even the limited set of files DOJ has made available.

The DOJ has further restricted oversight by prohibiting Members from taking notes on their own materials, barring congressional staff from assisting with document review, and monitoring Members' searches and activities while they review the files.

To remedy these failures, the Members call on DOJ to immediately implement a new review process that would provide Congress full access to the Epstein files, ensure documents available to Members are fully unredacted, establish secure review access on Capitol grounds, allow designated congressional staff to assist with oversight, and end any monitoring of Members' searches or notes.

The Members demanded that DOJ promptly confirm whether it will adopt these reforms and comply with the transparency requirements Congress enacted into law.

Click here to read the letter.