DOJ describes ‘all-hands-on-deck’ effort
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the effort as an “all-hands-on-deck approach,” saying lawyers from the Justice Department in Washington, the FBI, the Southern District of Florida, and the Southern District of New York are working “around the clock” to review the files.
“We’re asking as many lawyers as possible to commit their time to review the documents that remain,” Blanche said. “Required redactions to protect victims take time, but they will not stop these materials from being released.”
The White House did not dispute the figures contained in the letter. The additional documents and the lawyers assigned to the case were first reported by The New York Times.
Congressional pressure mounts
Attorney General Pam Bondi faces pressure from lawmakers in both parties over the department’s lagging compliance with the law.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who helped lead the effort to pass the legislation requiring the document release, asked on social media this week: “Should Attorney General Pam Bondi be impeached?”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on social media that the latest figures “shows Bondi, Blanche, and others at the DOJ have been lying to the American people about the Epstein files since day one,” noting that the documents released so far represent a fraction of the total.
Some lawmakers signal patience
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who also led the effort to pass the law, said the expanding review showed the law is working.
“We are willing to give DOJ a few extra weeks to comply, provided they release the survivors’ statements to the FBI naming the other rich and powerful men who abused them or covered up and the prosecution memos about charges that were dropped against Epstein and co-conspirators,” Khanna told The Associated Press. “When all the information comes out, this will shock the conscience of the nation.”
Massie has also said he wants to see the release of statements that victims gave to the FBI, which he has claimed could disclose the names of influential business figures and political donors who were involved or complicit in Epstein’s abuse.
What documents have shown so far
A tranche of documents released before Christmas showed that Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet in the 1990s, when they had a friendship before a falling out. The documents revealed little new information about their relationship. The initial release also included several photos of former President Bill Clinton with women whose faces were blacked out.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have focused on connections to Clinton and are seeking to compel him and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to appear for depositions in January.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the oversight panel, said accountability should not turn on political connections.
“Unlike the President, we don’t care who’s in the files,” Garcia said. “Anyone that’s involved in the abuse of women and girls should be held accountable.”