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DOJ Reports ‘Substantial Progress’ on Epstein Files Review, But Sets No Timeline for Next Release

Prosecutors say manual redactions to protect victims are slowing review, prompting calls for outside oversight.

Overview

  • The department told federal judges it has more than 500 reviewers working through millions of pages, recently adding about 80 criminal-division attorneys, and noted technical glitches and extensive duplication in the trove.
  • Only 12,285 documents have been posted to date, representing under 1% of materials, with more than 2 million items still in various phases of review despite the law’s Dec. 19 disclosure deadline.
  • The latest filing offered no estimate for when additional records will be released, as officials emphasized prioritizing victim privacy under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
  • U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton argued in a court letter that Judge Paul Engelmayer cannot appoint a special master to oversee production and that Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie lack standing to seek that relief.
  • Nineteen survivors asked the DOJ inspector general to scrutinize past releases and oversee future ones after alleging selective redactions; DOJ said it will redact victim-identifying information at a victim’s request even if it previously appeared on public dockets.