DOJ Misses Epstein Files Third Deadline as Bipartisan Lawmakers Demand Answers
The U.S. Department of Justice has missed a third consecutive week of statutory deadlines to fully release unclassified records related to Jeffrey Epstein, despite a bipartisan law requiring their disclosure.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025, ordered the DOJ to release all unclassified Epstein- and Ghislaine Maxwell–related documents by December 19, 2025, in a searchable public format. Lawmakers estimated the archive could total between 2 million and 5 million pages.
As of mid-January, the DOJ has released only a fraction of those records. Initial batches totaling tens of thousands of pages were disclosed in late December, many of them heavily redacted. DOJ officials acknowledged at the time that full compliance would not meet the statutory deadline, citing the volume of materials and the need to protect victim privacy and ongoing investigations.
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Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the delay. Rep. Thomas Massie called the DOJ’s actions a clear violation of the law, while Rep. Ro Khanna said the central concern is not timing but the continued withholding of documents. The two have pushed for a court-appointed special master to oversee the release process.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the department remains committed to transparency but insists that reviews are necessary to prevent the release of sensitive or harmful material.
The slow rollout has fueled online criticism and renewed public distrust, particularly given Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody and Maxwell’s 20-year prison sentence. As of Monday, no firm timeline has been announced for full compliance, and millions of pages reportedly remain under DOJ review.
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