Massie, Khanna Ask Federal Judge to Appoint Special Master to Force Release of Epstein Files
House members Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) formally asked a federal judge in the Southern District of New York to appoint a special master or independent monitor to compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release the full set of Jeffrey Epstein documents required under law. The request reflects mounting frustration after the DOJ missed the statutory deadline to release the materials.
The battle over the Epstein files has intensified as critics from both parties accuse the DOJ of failing to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which Congress passed overwhelmingly and President Trump signed in November 2025, requiring that all unclassified investigative records related to Epstein be publicly released by Dec. 19, 2025.
According to the lawmakers’ letter to Judge Paul Engelmayer, the DOJ has made limited disclosures and has failed to meet several statutory requirements, including timely reporting to Congress about what has been withheld and why. Only a small fraction of documents — roughly 12,285 documents comprising 125,575 pages — have been released, while more than 2 million documents remain under review for redaction and disclosure.
The lawmakers argue that without independent oversight, the DOJ will continue delaying transparency and undermining the intent of the law, citing concerns about excessive redactions and inconsistent compliance.
Rep. Khanna said, “The Department of Justice is openly defying the law by refusing to release the full Epstein files.”
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A special master would be tasked with ensuring completeness of the production, verifying proper redactions, and reporting to the court on DOJ compliance with statutory obligations.
The appointment request marks a significant escalation in efforts to enforce the Transparency Act and could lead to judicial orders that force broader release of records. The judge has not yet ruled on the request. Further court proceedings are expected in the coming weeks as both sides prepare arguments over the scope and pace of document production.
Compliance enforcement could reshape how the government handles large-scale disclosures of sensitive materials. The next hearing date or judge’s decision timeline has not been announced.
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