WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice said Wednesday it has uncovered more than a million additional documents potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, delaying a congressionally mandated release of records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act as officials review the material for legally required redactions.
In a social media post, the department said the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI informed Justice officials of the trove, prompting DOJ lawyers to “work around the clock” to process the files. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks,” the department said, adding it would “fully comply with federal law and President Donald Trump’s direction to release the files.”
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The disclosure came as pressure mounted on the department to meet a Friday deadline set by Congress. The law, passed nearly unanimously last month, requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, with redactions to protect survivors and certain sensitive information.
The DOJ reiterated it would release records on a rolling basis, citing the time-consuming process of obscuring victims’ names and other identifying details. The department said additional batches were released over the weekend and Tuesday but gave no timetable for when more would arrive.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the pace, telling NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that the ongoing review is meant “simply to protect victims.” He added: “The same individuals that are out there complaining about the lack of documents that were produced on Friday are the same individuals who apparently don’t want us to protect victims.”
On Capitol Hill, a bipartisan group of senators urged independent oversight of the delay. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, joined 11 Democrats in a letter asking Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume to audit the department’s compliance with the transparency law. “Given the [Trump] Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicisation of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,” the senators wrote. Full transparency, they added, “is essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes.”
Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-sponsor of the act, said on X that the DOJ “did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline.”
The department’s expanded document haul underscores the scale and complexity of the archival review, as agencies balance public disclosure with privacy protections frequently required in cases involving sexual abuse survivors. The DOJ has not said when it first learned of the newly identified records or how they were located, but officials have framed the process as a meticulous audit intended to ensure the releases withstand legal scrutiny.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires prompt disclosure but allows for redactions to protect victims and certain law enforcement sensitivities. Officials have indicated that effort is driving the staggered schedule and could extend the timeline by “a few more weeks.”
With lawmakers demanding accountability and victims’ advocates calling for full disclosure, the department’s next steps will determine whether it can satisfy both the letter of the law and the public’s expectation for clarity about who enabled Epstein’s abuse and how. For now, the DOJ says the review continues — and more documents are coming.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
