US Congressman accuses justice dept of defying Epstein files transparency law

US Congressman Ro Khanna has launched a scathing broadside against the justice department, accusing it of defying both the spirit and the letter of a new transparency law mandating the full disclosure of government files linked to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

He said the long-awaited document release is riddled with heavy redactions and glaring omissions, falling far short of what Congress intended.

In a video statement posted on social media late Friday, Khanna said the initial batch of documents fails to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act — landmark legislation he co-authored with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie. “The justice department’s document dump this afternoon does not comply with Thomas Massie and my Epstein Transparency Act,” Khanna said.

He pointed to what he described as sweeping and unjustified redactions, highlighting in particular a 119-page New York grand jury document that was released entirely blacked out. “They released one document from a New York grand jury of 119 pages totally blacked out,” Khanna said, noting that a New York judge had ordered the document’s release. “Our law requires them to explain redactions. There’s not a single explanation for why that entire document was redacted.”

Under the act, the justice department is required not only to make public all unclassified records related to Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, but also to provide clear justifications for any redactions. Khanna said the department has done neither.

He also alleged that key documents appear to be missing altogether, including a draft indictment that he said could implicate other powerful individuals connected to Epstein. “We have not seen the draft indictment that implicates other rich and powerful men who were on Epstein’s rape island,” Khanna said, alleging that some may have witnessed or participated in the abuse of young girls. He described the release as “an incomplete disclosure, with far too many redactions”.

Warning of possible consequences, Khanna said he and Massie are weighing a range of actions if the justice department continues to withhold information. “Thomas Massie and I are exploring all options,” he said, including holding officials in contempt of Congress, recommending impeachment, or referring cases for prosecution against those he accused of obstructing justice.

Massie later amplified Khanna’s remarks by sharing the video on social media, accusing attorney general Pam Bondi and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche of a release that “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law” signed by President Donald Trump 30 days ago.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act gave the justice department a 30-day deadline to release all unclassified records related to Epstein and Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse minors.

Earlier on Friday, Blanche said the department would release “several hundred thousand” documents but conceded it would miss the statutory deadline, citing the need to redact names to protect victims and innocent individuals. He said additional files would be made public in the coming weeks.

Khanna, however, expressed deep disappointment with the rollout and questioned the department’s credibility. “The justice department has very little credibility,” he said, noting that earlier claims that no further material existed had now been contradicted by the sheer scale of the document release.

The clash has reignited demands for full transparency in one of the most notorious abuse cases in recent US history, with lawmakers warning that continued secrecy risks eroding public trust in the justice system itself.