House Democrats weigh legal action after DOJ allegedly stalls full Epstein files release

WASHINGTON, DC: Two senior House Democrats said on Friday, December 19, they are "examining all legal options" after the Justice Department announced that it would release only part of the unclassified Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline.

The warning came after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the department would publish several hundred thousand documents on Friday, with additional records released in the coming weeks.

Recent legislation required the Justice Department to make the files public within 30 days of the bill's passage.

Democrats accuse DOJ of violating federal law 

The dispute centers on whether a phased release complies with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed with bipartisan support that compels the department to post all unclassified materials by the deadline, while allowing limited redactions to protect victims' identities.

Lawmakers backing the legislation claim that anything short of a full release would violate its terms. 

Reps Robert Garcia of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Judiciary Committee, issued a joint statement accusing the Justice Department of defying both Congress and the law. 

“Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are now violating federal law as they continue covering up the facts and the evidence about Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long, billion-dollar, international s*x t******king ring," the lawmakers said.

"For months, [Attorney General] Pam Bondi has denied survivors the transparency and accountability they have demanded and deserve and has defied the Oversight Committee’s subpoena," it continued. 

"The Department of Justice is now making clear it intends to defy Congress itself. We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law. The survivors of this nightmare deserve justice, the co-conspirators must be held accountable, and the American people deserve complete transparency from DOJ," the statement concluded.

While members of Congress have historically faced challenges establishing legal standing to sue the executive branch, Raskin's office had previously formed a litigation task force to support related cases.

Courts have sometimes intervened when federal agencies were found to be in violation of statutory requirements.

DOJ cites sheer volume of records behind delay decision

Todd Blanche said the department's decision to stagger the release was driven by the sheer volume of documents requiring review.

"Several hundred thousand" records would be released on Friday, with "several hundred thousand more" expected in the coming weeks, he said.

The law permits redactions to protect the identifying information of victims and survivors. 

The planned partial release has also drawn criticism from some Republicans who supported the legislation.

Rep Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who helped force a floor vote on the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act', said that the law's requirements were clear.

Posting an image of the statue on X, Massie highlighted the 30-day deadline and said there was "no ambiguity" about what must be released.