Thomas Massie accuses Trump administration of ‘flaunting the law’ in Epstein files release

GARRISON, KENTUCKY: Rep Thomas Massie has intensified his criticism of the Trump administration for a second consecutive day over the partial release of documents related to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein.

He argues that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is disregarding a law passed by Congress that requires full transparency.

The DOJ on Saturday, December 20, released additional files, documents, and photos connected to Epstein, one day after the deadline to release all of the materials. 

Thomas Massie slams DOJ over Epstein files transparency

Thomas Massie accused the Department of Justice of “flaunting” the law after it released only some of the files connected to Jeffrey Epstein.

Massie, who has clashed with Donald Trump on several issues, has been particularly vocal about the Epstein files.

In a post on X, Massie invited his followers to compare the "Language of Epstein Files Transparency Act directing DOJ to provide internal communications regarding their decisions." He continued, "Versus, DOJ letter to Congress asserting privilege to omit materials related to decisions, because they weren’t specified by law."

“THEY ARE FLAUNTING LAW,” Massie also wrote.

He shared screenshots showing language from the law passed by Congress that requires the DOJ to provide lawmakers with internal communications related to decisions to charge and investigate Epstein, or to decline doing so.

Massie also included an image of the DOJ’s letter asserting privilege to withhold certain materials.

DOJ defends delayed release of Epstein files

Department of Justice Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Friday that the DOJ would not release all of its Epstein-related files at once but would instead continue releasing "more documents over the next couple of weeks."

Blanche explained that the delay was necessary, saying, "What we’re doing is we are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected."

Despite these assurances, both Epstein’s victims and lawmakers who supported the legislation have expressed disappointment and anger over the failure to release all documents.

Reps Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin, the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, said they are “now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”

The DOJ, however, has maintained that it is complying with the law, framing December 19 as an initial deadline rather than a final one.

In a post on X, the department’s press office said, "The DOJ is releasing a massive tranche of new documents that the Biden and Obama administrations refused to release." The department argued, "The story here: the Trump administration is providing levels of transparency that prior administrations never even contemplated."

Thomas Massie has continued to increase pressure on the administration. On Friday, he said the release failed “to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago.”