The U.S. Department of Justice has told lawmakers that members of Congress will be able to examine unredacted versions of files tied to Jeffrey Epstein beginning Monday, according to a letter sent to them and obtained by The Associated Press. The letter describes the review as part of the Justice Department’s response to a law passed by Congress last year that required the release of Epstein-related materials.
Under the arrangement described in the letter, Justice Department officials will provide members of Congress access to unredacted versions of more than 3 million files that the department has released as part of complying with the statute. Lawmakers must provide 24 hours’ notice to obtain access, and they will review the unredacted materials on Justice Department computers rather than receiving copies of the documents.
The letter also sets limits on how lawmakers can handle what they view. It says lawmakers—not their staff—will be allowed to review the files, they can take notes, and they will not be permitted to make electronic copies.
The Associated Press report said the plan was first reported by NBC News, and it reflects continued congressional demand for information about Epstein and his crimes, even after the Justice Department directed large numbers of staff to compile and release the materials required by the law. The Justice Department has faced criticism tied to delays in providing information, including concerns that some personal information and photos of victims were not redacted in the released files.
Still, some lawmakers who have pushed for more transparency described the Justice Department’s concession as a win. Rep. Ro Khanna, who sponsored what’s known as the Epstein Files Transparency Act, posted on social media that “When Congress pushes back, Congress can prevail,” according to the Associated Press report.
Khanna has pointed to emails between Epstein and individuals whose information was redacted that he said appeared to refer to the sexual abuse of underage girls. The release of the case files has also prompted inquiries internationally about the identities of men who were connected to the financier, as lawmakers press for further accountability over whether others had knowledge of Epstein’s abuse or helped facilitate it.
Epstein killed himself in a New York jail cell in 2019 while he faced charges that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of underage girls. The case was brought more than a decade after Epstein secretly cut a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida to resolve nearly identical allegations.