Bipartisan Group Of Senators Call For Independent Audit Of Epstein Files Redactions Protocol

Bipartisan Group Of Senators Call For Independent Audit Of Epstein Files Redactions Protocol

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) called for an independent audit and report to Congress about the Department of Justice's (DOJ) practices in redacting information of the public release of the Epstein Files.

Multiple reports have spotlighted DOJ's failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act's clear requirement to redact only information that protects victims' privacy and national security and the law's prohibition on redactions based on reputational harm or political sensitivity. Last year, Durbin released a whistleblower account revealing that FBI personnel were instructed in March 2025 to identify records mentioning President Trump.

In a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Senators asked the nonpartisan, independent agency to conduct the audit and report to Congress on the DOJ and Executive Branch's redaction process and decisions.

The Senators wrote: "As Congress continues to seek justice for the victims of Epstein and his co-conspirators, GAO can offer an independent inquiry into the processes undertaken by DOJ in redacting and releasing these files-assessing DOJ's due diligence and whether the release of these files has served to cover up child sexual abuse."

The Senators concluded: "This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children. It is critical to understand what led to DOJ's failure to redact the victims' information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers. We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter."

Full text of the letter can be found here.

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