Justice Department Moves to Block Lawmakers’ Bid for Oversight of Epstein Records Release

BY MIRABEL ODETA

The U.S. Justice Department has urged a federal judge in New York to reject a request by two members of Congress seeking the appointment of a special master to oversee the public release of records connected to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The department argued that the lawmakers have no legal standing in the case and are improperly attempting to intervene in a matter to which they are not parties.

Since December, the Justice Department has been releasing large batches of documents related to its investigations of Epstein, whose case has continued to draw intense public scrutiny years after his death.

However, the pace of those disclosures has drawn criticism from U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky. The two lawmakers have accused the department of moving too slowly and failing to meet a statutory deadline requiring the release of all Epstein-related records by December 19.

Last week, Khanna and Massie asked U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer for permission to submit a “friend of the court” brief supporting the appointment of an independent special master and monitor. They argued that such oversight is necessary because, in their view, the Justice Department has not fully complied with the law mandating the disclosure of the Epstein files.

In a six-page letter filed Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back strongly against that request. They told Judge Engelmayer that the two lawmakers are not involved in the underlying criminal case, U.S. v. Ghislaine Maxwell, and therefore should not be allowed to participate as amici curiae. The letter maintained that the court lacks authority to grant the relief Khanna and Massie are seeking.

“Representatives Khanna and Massie do not have standing, their stated objectives are inconsistent with the role of an amicus as well as the role of the Court, and, in any event, there is no authority permitting the Court to grant the Representatives the relief they improperly seek,” the Justice Department said. The filing was signed by Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The records dispute arises from the broader legal fallout surrounding Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls over a period of years. The case remains a focal point for public demands for transparency, particularly regarding Epstein’s associates and the scope of government knowledge about his activities.

The Justice Department has said the delay in releasing all remaining records is due in part to the sheer volume of material that must be reviewed before it can be made public. As of the end of 2025, the department said it still had approximately 5.2 million pages of Epstein-related documents to examine.

Officials also stated that about 400 lawyers from four different Justice Department offices are involved in the review process, which is expected to continue through late January.