Full release of Epstein files may take ‘few more weeks’ despite missed deadline

The US Justice Department said that it may need a “few more weeks” to release all of its records on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after suddenly discovering more than a million potentially relevant documents.

It further delays compliance with last Friday’s congressionally mandated deadline.

The Christmas Eve announcement came hours after a dozen US senators called on the Justice Department’s watchdog to examine its failure to meet the deadline.

The group, 11 Democrats and a Republican, told acting inspector general Don Berthiaume in a letter that victims “deserve full disclosure” and the “peace of mind” of an independent audit.

The Justice Department said in a social media post that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI “have uncovered over a million more documents” that could be related to the Epstein case — a stunning 11th hour development after department officials suggested months ago that they had undertaken a comprehensive review that accounted for the vast universe of Epstein-related materials.

The post did not say when the Justice Department was informed of the newly uncovered files.

In a letter last week, deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said Manhattan federal prosecutors already had more than 3.6 million records from sex trafficking investigations into Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, although many were copies of material already turned over by the FBI.

The Justice Department said its lawyers are “working around the clock” to review the documents and remove victims names and other identifying information as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his longtime confidant Maxwell.

“We will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said.

“Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.”

The announcement came amid increasing scrutiny on the Justice Department’s staggered release of Epstein-related records, including from Epstein victims and members of Congress.

Republican representative Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, a co-sponsor of the transparency act, posted Wednesday on X: “DOJ did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline”.

The White House on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein records.

“President Trump has assembled the greatest cabinet in American history, which includes attorney general Bondi and her team — like deputy attorney general Blanche — who are doing a great job implementing the president’s agenda,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

After releasing an initial wave of records on Friday, more batches were posted over the weekend and on Tuesday.

The Justice Department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.

Records that have been released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context.

Records that had not been seen before include transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.

Other records made public in recent days include a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said US President Donald Trump had flown on the financier’s private plane more often than had been previously known and emails between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial A.

They contain other references that suggest the writer was Britain’s former Prince Andrew.

In one, A writes: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”

The senators’ call on Wednesday for an inspector general audit comes days after minority leader Chuck Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join legal cases aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the disclosure and deadline requirements.

In a statement, he called the staggered, heavily redacted release “a blatant cover-up”.