The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing a new layer of scrutiny after its internal watchdog announced an audit into how the department is complying with federal requirements to publicly release records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The review comes amid growing bipartisan criticism that the DOJ has not fully met its obligations under transparency laws and may have improperly withheld or obscured key material.
The DOJ’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) said it is beginning an audit focused on how the department has handled the identification, redaction, and release of Epstein-related records. According to the watchdog’s plan, investigators will examine the internal systems and guidelines used to sift through an estimated six million documents, including how staff were instructed to decide what information could be released or withheld.
A central concern in the audit is how the DOJ managed redactions, particularly in cases involving sensitive personal information. The review will also assess how the department addressed concerns that surfaced after initial releases, including whether victims’ identities were adequately protected and whether other individuals named in the records were appropriately handled under the law.
The OIG noted that its review may expand if additional issues emerge during the investigation.
The audit follows sustained criticism from lawmakers who argue the DOJ has not fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has previously stated that just over three million documents have been released publicly, while the remaining files were described by the department as duplicates. That explanation has not satisfied many members of Congress, who continue to demand full disclosure of all materials.
Several lawmakers have accused the DOJ of delaying or limiting transparency. Representative Shontel Brown of Ohio has been among those pressing for complete release of the records, arguing that the department has not met its legal obligations and should provide all remaining documents to the public without further delay.
The push for an audit was initially requested in a bipartisan effort by Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have emphasized the importance of transparency for survivors connected to the Epstein case and have questioned whether the DOJ has fully complied with both the law and survivor requests for accountability.
Complications surrounding the release have increased in recent months. After the DOJ declared it had completed its disclosure process, additional records were later published following reporting that suggested not all materials had been included in earlier releases. Among the missing content were portions of an interview involving a woman who accused a high-profile public figure of misconduct when she was a minor. Subsequent reporting indicated that several pages from that account were still not made public.
Redaction practices have also come under fire. Lawmakers who reviewed unredacted files within a DOJ facility reported that many documents remained heavily redacted despite expectations under the transparency law. In some cases, concerns were raised that identifying details of victims were insufficiently protected, while in others names of individuals communicating with Epstein were obscured or inconsistently handled.
Representatives Ro Khanna of California and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who helped sponsor the transparency legislation, said they identified multiple names within the records that they believed could be relevant to potential wrongdoing, further intensifying calls for disclosure.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi defended the DOJ’s handling of the process in prior congressional testimony, citing the volume of documents and limited time frame for review. However, critics continue to question whether the department’s review process has met statutory requirements.
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