The United States Department of Justice is under renewed scrutiny after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that all documents required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act have been made public.
In a formal letter to members of United States Congress, Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the department had released every qualifying “record, document, communication and investigative material” related to the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
According to the letter, no material was withheld due to embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity. The disclosure includes a list of individuals whose names appear at least once in the files, covering a wide range of contexts from direct communications to incidental mentions in emails or media reports.
However, lawmakers from both parties argue that the release falls short of the law’s intent.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who co-authored the transparency legislation, said the department must also publish internal memoranda explaining past prosecutorial decisions involving Epstein and his associates. Speaking on This Week, Massie claimed the DoJ is invoking deliberative process privilege to withhold key internal records, despite statutory language requiring their disclosure.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna echoed concerns, accusing the department of failing to clearly distinguish between individuals accused of misconduct and those merely referenced in correspondence. He argued that placing disparate names together without context risks misleading the public.
Among those listed in the documents are prominent figures including Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Bill Clinton, all of whom have previously acknowledged some form of association with Epstein. There is no indication that inclusion in the files implies criminal wrongdoing, and each has denied involvement in Epstein’s crimes.
Critics also questioned the inclusion of deceased entertainers such as Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley, arguing that the absence of explanatory context further complicates public understanding.
The letter was addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, ranking member Dick Durbin, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and ranking member Jamie Raskin.
The controversy follows the recent release of millions of Epstein-related documents, some of which lawmakers previously said were improperly redacted. Attorneys representing Epstein’s victims have also raised concerns that certain materials contained identifying information, including email addresses and images. The DoJ attributed earlier issues to technical or human error and removed flagged files.
As bipartisan pressure builds, lawmakers continue to demand the publication of internal notes, emails, and prosecutorial deliberations to ensure full transparency under the law.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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