DOJ finds more than a million additional Epstein documents, pushing full release back by weeks
The U.S. Justice Department has identified more than a million additional documents potentially tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, delaying a full release of records for weeks as officials carry out legally required redactions to protect victims, the department said.
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The disclosure, made in a statement and echoed in a Justice Department social media post on Tuesday, further complicates a congressionally mandated timeline that required the Trump administration to release all Epstein-related investigative files by December 19. Republicans and Democrats approved the statute last month over President Donald Trump’s objections, allowing redactions primarily to protect victims’ identities and sensitive investigative details.
“We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.”
The Justice Department said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI recently informed officials they had uncovered the additional cache. DOJ has now received the materials and folded them into its ongoing review, a step that will extend the timetable for a comprehensive release even as partial publications continue.
Epstein, a financier with high-profile social and political connections, died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Interest in the full scope of his activities — and the extent of any institutional failures or misconduct connected to his case — has persisted for years, intensifying as courts and agencies have periodically released records under public pressure.
The new delay underscores the competing demands at play: Congress has ordered sweeping transparency, but the Justice Department is bound by federal law and court orders to shield victims and certain investigative techniques. Releases to date have included heavy redactions, frustrating some Republican lawmakers and doing little to calm a controversy that party strategists fear could overshadow the GOP as it heads toward the 2026 midterm elections.
The administration has rejected accusations of a cover-up, arguing that any blacked-out passages adhere to legal standards rather than political considerations. The department’s latest notice — confirming receipt of more than a million newly identified documents — suggests the universe of potentially relevant records is larger than initially understood and that the review must expand accordingly.
It was not immediately clear how the additional materials were discovered or how many would ultimately be deemed responsive to the law passed last month. The department did not provide a breakdown of document types, origins, or time periods covered. Nor did it offer a firm date for the next large tranche of releases, beyond saying that the process would take “a few more weeks.”
For now, the Justice Department says it will continue rolling out documents as they are cleared, with names and identifying details of victims removed. Lawmakers who backed the release statute say they intend to keep pressure on the administration to meet the spirit of the law — full transparency consistent with legal obligations — while safeguarding individuals who were harmed.
The evolving timetable means the public should expect continued, incremental disclosures rather than a single, definitive dump of Epstein files. It also signals that the legal and political battles over how much to reveal — and how fast — will likely intensify as the review widens and the 2026 campaign cycle draws closer.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
