‘No Longer in My Hands’: GOP Retreats as DOJ Stalls on Releasing Jeffrey Epstein Files

One month after the Dec. 19 statutory deadline to make public its records on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Justice Department has released only a small fraction of the files and offered no firm timeline for full compliance. The delay and the department's limited public explanation have been met with dwindling pressure from many House Republicans who originally forced the disclosures.

From Urgency to Apathy

Several Republicans who joined Democrats to push the legislation through the House have since signaled the issue is no longer a priority. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), one of four GOP members who signed a discharge petition to force a floor vote, told reporters she no longer cared to press the matter. “I don’t give a rip about Epstein,” she said, adding that other issues in Congress demand attention and that the matter was “no longer in my hands.”

Others who aided the push — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) — also faced political pressure. The White House reportedly mounted heavy lobbying to persuade members to remove their names from the petition, even summoning Boebert to the Situation Room for a final appeal.

Political Costs And Fallout

Washington’s focus has shifted to other flash points, and many House Republicans appear eager to move on rather than confront President Trump. The public rift between Greene and Trump — in large part over her support for releasing the files — reportedly led to Trump branding her a “traitor,” and she resigned from the House earlier this month. Boebert faced a veto from the president on a water infrastructure bill tied to her district, and administration officials privately warned Mace that defiance could affect a presidential endorsement in her gubernatorial bid.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who has worked with Democrats on an Oversight Committee probe into Epstein-related records, said she is now concentrating on efforts to hold Bill and Hillary Clinton in contempt for failing to comply with committee subpoenas. Some photos released so far show Bill Clinton in Epstein’s company; both he and former first lady Hillary Clinton have denied wrongdoing and have not been implicated in Epstein’s crimes.

DOJ's Slow Pace And Limited Transparency

Despite the congressional mandate — a bill that passed the House overwhelmingly and won unanimous Senate approval — the Justice Department has not published the full set of records it possesses. The department has also not provided the statutory explanations for redactions that the law requires.

On Dec. 24 the DOJ said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI had identified potentially more than one million documents related to Epstein that remain under review and provided only a vague estimate of “a few more weeks” to complete an internal audit. In a recent court filing the department indicated that more than 500 people were involved in reviewing the files.

Oversight Push Continues — Mostly From Democrats And A Few Republicans

Rep. Thomas Massie has remained the most vocal House Republican demanding DOJ compliance. He told reporters the department is “in clear violation of the law” and expressed concern about what he called the over-redaction of records in violation of the disclosure bill’s limits.

To establish independent oversight of the release process, Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who co-sponsored the bill, asked a judge in New York to appoint a third-party monitor to supervise the document disclosures. A judge has asked the Trump administration to respond to that motion.

What's Next

House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said the department is cooperating and turning over documents, though he and others would prefer faster production. Attorney General Pam Bondi is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11, where members — including Massie and Democrats — are expected to press her on the delays and on the DOJ’s compliance with the law.

Bottom line: The law required a rapid disclosure of Epstein-related records, but a DOJ review involving hundreds of personnel and potentially more than a million documents has slowed the process. Political pressures and shifting priorities on Capitol Hill have muted much of the Republican push for speedy release, leaving oversight efforts driven primarily by Democrats and a handful of Republicans.