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Judge Seeks DOJ Response on Epstein Files Compliance, Weighs Special Master Request

The judge set a Friday deadline for the Justice Department to explain his authority to review compliance with the Epstein transparency law.

Overview

  • Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie asked U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer to appoint a special master to oversee disclosures required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
  • Engelmayer ordered briefing on whether the court can review compliance and whether the lawmakers have standing, directing the DOJ to respond by Friday.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that 12,285 documents totaling 125,575 pages have been released, with more than 2 million potentially responsive records still under review.
  • The DOJ has faced bipartisan criticism over the pace and handling of the initial releases, including redactions and metadata issues that raised concerns about politicization.
  • DOJ filings describe a large-scale review effort involving roughly 400 attorneys and the recent discovery of about 1 million additional potentially relevant documents that require processing and deduplication.