The Department of Justice will not release the complete set of Jeffrey Epstein–related files required under newly enacted federal law, instead delivering only a partial tranche on Friday, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The department faces mounting criticism from both Democrats and Republicans who argue that withholding the full set of unclassified documents violates the statute’s explicit 30-day deadline.
Blanche said the DOJ would release “several hundred thousand” documents immediately, with additional releases expected soon. He attributed the delay to the department’s effort to review and redact information that could reveal the identities of victims or witnesses. However, the Epstein Files Transparency Act—passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed after President Trump reversed his earlier opposition—does not provide for a phased or rolling release.
“So today is the 30 days when I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today,” Blanche told Fox News, adding that the batch would include materials “in all different forms, photographs and other materials associated with, with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein.”
He emphasized the department’s rationale for the delay. “What we’re doing is we are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected,” Blanche said. “And so I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks.”
Under the new law, the DOJ is permitted to redact identifying information about victims and certain investigative details. But the statute requires that all unclassified files be released within 30 days, and that the department submit justification within 15 days for any documents it withholds. Because the law excludes language allowing staged releases, some lawmakers argue the DOJ’s approach fails to meet the legal threshold.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued one of the strongest condemnations, asserting that withholding the full batch amounts to breaking federal law. “The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be – the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some. Failing to do so is breaking the law,” Schumer said Friday, also accusing the administration of attempting to shield information. “This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth.”
Schumer added that Senate Democrats are working with victims’ attorneys and legal experts “to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi. We will not stop until the whole truth comes out.”
In the House, Reps. Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, the top Democrats on the Oversight and Judiciary Committees, said they are “now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.” Their comments suggest the possibility of formal oversight action if the department does not move quickly to remedy what lawmakers see as a clear statutory breach.
Republicans have also pressed the DOJ to comply fully. Rep. Thomas Massie—who helped force a vote on the legislation—highlighted the bill’s 30-day requirement on social media. On Thursday, he stressed that the law contains “no ambiguity” and that President Trump and DOJ officials must follow its terms. Trump “has agreed to comply with this law” and Bondi “has to comply with it,” Massie said, warning that there will be penalties if the department fails to meet the requirements.
“This is a very unique situation,” Massie added, pointing out that the president who signed the mandate also oversees the agency responsible for meeting it. “This is a case where the president who appointed the attorney general and for whom the attorney general works has signed the law and the ink is not even dry yet on his signature on this law. There’s nothing subject to interpretation.”
The partial release marks the first significant test of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed amid widespread public interest in long-sealed investigative records related to Epstein’s network, his criminal case, and his associates. With lawmakers from both parties demanding full compliance and victims’ advocates seeking clarity, the DOJ now faces legal, political, and public-pressure challenges as it prepares the next batches of documents.
%20(1).jpg)
.png)
