More than a dozen US senators are calling on the Justice Department’s watchdog to investigate the agency’s failure to release all records relating to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by a Congressional deadline last Friday, saying victims “deserve full disclosure” and pleading “reassurance” from an independent audit.
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined 11 Democrats on Wednesday to sign a letter asking Acting Inspector General Don Barthiome to audit the Justice Department’s compliance with the Epstein File Transparency Act, enacted last month. The law would require the government to release files on Epstein and his longtime confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Given the (Trump) administration’s historical hostility to the release of files, the broader politicization of the Epstein case, and the failure to comply with the Epstein File Transparency Act, an independent assessment of compliance with statutory disclosure requirements is essential,” the senators wrote. They said, “Full transparency is essential to identifying the members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein’s crimes.”
Murkowski and Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) led the letter-writing group. Others included Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Maisie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Thomas Massey of Kentucky, a co-sponsor of the Transparency Act, posted on X on Wednesday that “the Department of Justice did violate the law by making illegal edits and missing deadlines.”
Despite the deadline, the Justice Department said it plans to gradually release the records. The agency blamed the delay on the lengthy process of concealing survivors’ names and other identifying information. More records were posted over the weekend and on Tuesday. The department has not given any indication of when further records will arrive.
“The reason we are still reviewing the documents and continuing the process is simply to protect the victims,” Deputy Atty said. Gen. Todd Blanche said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “So the same people who were complaining about the lack of documentation produced on Friday are the same people who clearly don’t want us to protect victims.”
The records released, including photos, interview transcripts, phone records, court records, and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. Previously unreleased records include transcripts of grand jury testimony by FBI agents describing interviews with several girls and young women who say they were paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.
Other recently released records include a January 2020 memo from federal prosecutors that said Trump flew on the financier’s plane more frequently than previously known, and emails between Maxwell and a person who signs off with the initials “A.” They also contain other references that suggest the author is Britain’s former Prince Andrew. In one, “A” writes, “How’s LA? Have you found any new inappropriate friends?”
The senators’ call for an inspector general audit on Wednesday came days after Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.N.Y.) introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join a lawsuit aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with disclosure and deadline requirements. In a statement, he called the heavily edited and staggered release a “blatant cover-up.”
Sisak writes for The Associated Press.
