Rep. Ro Khanna, co‑sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said he expects the Justice Department to publish unclassified Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell records by the law’s Dec. 19 deadline and warned of legal, congressional and civil consequences if it does not. The law requires DOJ to provide searchable, downloadable records but permits narrow, temporary withholding to protect active investigations. Khanna said the files could reveal how powerful figures influenced law enforcement and shed light on activities at Epstein’s Caribbean island, and he estimates only a small portion of documents would legitimately be withheld.
DOJ Given Deadline To Release Epstein Files — Rep. Khanna Warns Of Legal Consequences If It Fails
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at an event in New York in 1995. (Patrick McMullan / Getty Images file)
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a co-sponsor of the newly enacted Epstein Files Transparency Act, said he expects the Justice Department to publish investigative records related to Jeffrey Epstein by the law’s Dec. 19 deadline — and warned there could be legal and congressional consequences if it does not.
The statute, signed last month by President Donald Trump, requires the attorney general to make public, in a searchable and downloadable format, all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials in the Department of Justice’s possession that relate to Epstein and his identified co‑conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. The law allows limited, temporary withholding only where disclosure would jeopardize an active federal investigation or ongoing prosecution.
Khanna told NBC News that Justice Department officials have not responded to his inquiries about how the materials will be published, but he pointed to the department’s successful motion to unseal grand jury records as a sign it is attempting to comply. “Until the 19th, let’s give some benefit of the doubt, given that they’ve been supporting these judicial rulings,” he said.
“It needs to come out, who the other powerful men were on Epstein’s rape island,” Khanna said. “There were a lot of sex parties where women were trafficked for pay.”
Khanna said the documents should reveal how powerful individuals in some cases asserted influence over local law enforcement or claimed contacts at the FBI, discouraging survivors from reporting abuse. He also said the files may illuminate activity on Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
DOJ previously provided more than 33,000 pages of Epstein-related material to the House Oversight Committee after an August subpoena, and those pages were released publicly in early September. House Republicans called that production the “first batch,” but no additional DOJ document releases have been made public since.
Under the transparency law, Khanna said, failure to publish the required records by Dec. 19 would be unlawful. He warned that DOJ officials who willfully withhold material could face several consequences: potential prosecution under federal law once a statute of limitations allows, congressional subpoenas and hearings (notably from the House Oversight Committee), and civil litigation.
The law directs disclosure of information about people — including government officials — and entities (corporate, nonprofit, academic or governmental) named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory proceedings. It also requires disclosure of any immunity or nonprosecution agreements.
Epstein, who had associations at different times with public figures including former President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew, died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. He had previously pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to state charges after a controversial nonprosecution agreement. Maxwell was convicted of conspiring to traffic minors and is serving a 20‑year sentence.
Last month, President Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to review emails from Epstein’s estate that mentioned former President Clinton, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and donor Reid Hoffman; none were accused of wrongdoing based on the emails, and Trump aides later acknowledged there was no clear incriminating material. Khanna estimated that any legitimately withheld material would represent a very small fraction of the overall files.
Khanna and other supporters say a full, public release could help survivors and increase public accountability, though they acknowledge it is unlikely to stop speculation or conspiracy theories entirely. The FBI has said the number of Epstein’s victims likely exceeds 1,000.
A Justice Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
