Epstein Files release Fails to Quell Outrage as Millions of Pages Remain Unreleased
The release of approximately 3 million Jeffrey Epstein investigative files has done little to appease critics,who allege a continued lack of transparency from Justice Department officials adn claim perhaps millions more documents are being withheld. The Department of Justice was legally obligated to disclose all investigative files by December 19th under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA), but last week’s disclosure arrived nearly six weeks past that deadline.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as former President Trump’s criminal defense lawyer, asserted last week that the release marked “the end of a very comprehensive document identification and review process to ensure transparency to the American people and compliance with the act.” According to Blanche, after submitting a final report to Congress and publishing redaction justifications in the federal Register, the department would have fulfilled its obligations under the act.
Blanche explained that while the Justice Department identified “more than 6 million pages being identified as potentially responsive,” the department “erred on the side of over-collection of materials” and ultimately released over 3.5 million pages.
However, numerous parties involved in the case remain deeply dissatisfied. Attorney Sigrid Olivarius, representing several Epstein accusers, questioned the scope of the release, emphasizing the need to understand who intervened to halt the 2007 investigation, posing the question: “Who made the phone call that stopped the 2007 investigation?” She added, “A disclosure is not complete if it tells us something about the criminal but nothing about the shield.”
Olivarius also raised concerns about the discrepancy between the initially identified 6 million pages and the roughly half that have been published, noting the Justice Department’s claim that the remainder are duplicates or non-responsive. “As an attorney who has spent my career fighting for transparency in cases of systemic abuse, I am suspicious of this,” she said. “Because the determination of what is responsive is made by the party holding the documents, it is ripe for tactical misuse.”
Radar Online,which initiated a lawsuit over eight years ago following the FBI’s failure to disclose Epstein files under a 2017 Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) request,also deemed last week’s disclosure insufficient. A spokesperson for Radar stated that, “Along with the many questionable redactions the public has identified, the DOJ has acknowledged that millions of Epstein records were fully withheld.” The website has appealed to the second circuit Court of Appeals to revisit its FOIA case and challenge any obstruction of transparency.
Jennifer Freeman, representing Maria Farmer through the Marsh Law Firm, described the disclosures as “a mess from the start, filled with missed deadlines and ham-fisted redactions, while exposing the identities of survivors.” Freeman vowed, “This fight isn’t over – we won’t allow the federal government to simply dump a couple million documents and wash their hands of one of the largest law enforcement failures in US history.” She highlighted critical unanswered questions,including the whereabouts of the complete FBI file pertaining to Maria Farmer,records of complaints made by other women to the FBI,and the identities of perpetrators currently shielded by the Justice Department.
Top democrats have echoed these criticisms,even as Blanche defended the Justice Department’s efforts,telling ABC News on Sunday that “This review is over.” Congressman Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, condemned the handling of the files as “a full-blown cover-up,” stating on CNN’s State of the Union, “they’ve said there are 6 million potentially responsive documents there. They’ve only released 3 million with more than 10,000 redactions. What about the other 3 million files?” Raskin accused the department of releasing only “the dribs and drabs of information coming out, the stuff that they want us to see.”
When contacted for comment, a Justice Department official dismissed the criticism as a “tired narrative,” asserting that the department had produced over 3.5 million pages in compliance with the law and disclosed the reasons for any omissions. The official added, “I assume all members of Congress read the actual language before voting on it, but if not, our press release and letter to Congress clearly spells this out.” Despite these assurances, the calls for complete transparency and accountability in the Epstein case continue to grow louder.
