Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says the DOJ violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act by releasing only part of the records tied to Jeffrey Epstein. The law required a full public release of files, images, flight logs and prosecutorial records within 30 days, but the department said redactions required phased disclosures. Lawmakers including Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie criticized the move, flagging heavy redactions and possible contempt, impeachment or legal actions. The DOJ released additional records on Saturday, including handwritten letters.
House Democrat: DOJ 'Absolutely' Violated Law by Partially Releasing Epstein Files
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.) said Friday that the Department of Justice violated the law by producing only a portion of the records tied to its investigation of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law last month, required officials to disclose files, images, flight logs and prosecutorial materials connected to Epstein in full to the public within a 30-day window. Instead, the Justice Department announced it would release documents in batches while completing redactions to protect victims.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters the volume of material and the time required to make appropriate redactions made a single, complete release impractical. He said the department would provide the records in phases over the coming weeks.
“They are absolutely in violation of the law. They just admitted they were in violation of the law,”
Subramanyam told CNN after the initial release, arguing the statute required all materials to be made public by the deadline, not delivered incrementally. He added there was no acceptable justification for the delay and accused the department of redacting files as far back as March, when officials first signaled an intention to disclose the records.
Lawmakers Raise Alarms
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) echoed concerns about the department's handling, questioning the "quality" of the materials released and saying many redactions appeared heavy-handed and unexplained. Khanna specifically pointed to more than 100 pages of grand jury testimony that were entirely redacted.
Khanna also said that some lawmakers are considering impeachment proceedings against Justice Department officials over the handling of the files.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a co-sponsor of the transparency law, criticized the partial release on social platform X, saying the department's action "grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law." Massie warned that the statute could create legal exposure for current officials in the future because, unlike a congressional subpoena, the law does not expire at the end of a Congress.
Subpoena And Next Steps
Subramanyam also said the department was in contempt of a House Oversight Committee subpoena that demanded records tied to the Epstein material. He cautioned that releasing documents already in the public domain would not satisfy lawmakers and said he wants to see materials the department has withheld until now.
The Justice Department released additional records on Saturday, including some handwritten letters. Lawmakers and oversight committees say they will continue to scrutinize the releases and consider legal and congressional remedies if the department does not comply fully with the law.
