The Justice Department said Wednesday that it needs more time to release the whole trove of documents pertaining to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The department said that the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI informed the department that “a million more documents” have been uncovered “potentially related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.”
“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.
They said the process may “take a few more weeks” due to the amount of documents.
“The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files,” they wrote.
Nearly 30,000 more pages pertaining to the Epstein case were released Tuesday after the department was criticized for not releasing all the documents by the Dec. 19 deadline in the law signed by President Trump.
“Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election,” the DOJ wrote on X. “To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already.
“Nevertheless, out of our commitment to the law and transparency, the DOJ is releasing these documents with the legally required protections for Epstein’s victims,” the department said.
The initial release Friday did not appease the lawmakers and victims who had called for the documents to be made public.
The announcement Wednesday from the Justice Department came hours after a dozen senators called for an audit into the department’s failure to release all of the Epstein records.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, joined 11 Democrats in signing a letter that says the department violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which set the Dec. 19 deadline for the records release.
The letter urges acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume to audit the department’s compliance with the law.
“Given the Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization 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 letter reads.
It came after Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, introduced a resolution that would direct the Senate to file or join any lawsuits aimed at forcing the DOJ to comply with the deadline requirements, but it would need to pass.
Mr. Schumer said Wednesday that, “A Christmas Eve news dump of ’a million more files’ only proves what we already know: Trump is engaged in a massive coverup.”
“The question Americans deserve answered is simple: WHAT are they hiding — and WHY?” he said. “Justice delayed is justice denied. Release the files. Follow the law.”
Reps. Ro Khanna, California Democrat, and Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican, who co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have criticized the release of documents. Mr. Khanna said the initial disclosure “failed to comply with the law” because it wasn’t complete, and the documents were so heavily redacted.
Mr. Khanna said he and Mr. Massie were “drafting articles of impeachment and inherent contempt” against Attorney General Pam Bondi over the release.
“We haven’t decided whether to move it forward yet, but we’re in the process of doing it,” he said earlier this week.
• Mary McCue Bell contributed to this report.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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