US Lawmakers Consider Legal Action Following Incomplete Release of Epstein Files
A pair of US lawmakers have threatened legal action against US Attorney General Pam Bondi, after her deadline to release all government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was met only in part. The release of the Department of Justice (DoJ) documents was highly anticipated but in the end, only a portion of the available material was made public.
Leading the campaign for further transparency, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie expressed his intention to potentially initiate contempt proceedings against the attorney general. The DoJ insists it is adhering to its legal obligations, with Bondi declaring her administration as the most transparent in American history.
The phrase Epstein files refers to the vast collection of information gathered by the US justice department from its criminal investigations into Epstein. A law mandating the release of these documents was signed by former President Donald Trump in November, following demands from Republicans and supporters. Although some materials were released, many received redactions, prompting outrage among lawmakers and Epstein's abuse survivors, with Trump remaining silent on the matter.
Massie, speaking on CBS's Face the Nation, claimed that the Department of Justice was disregarding both the spirit and letter of the law. He stated, The quickest way to get justice for these victims is to bring inherent contempt against Pam Bondi, which doesn’t require going through the courts.” This legal approach has not been invoked for nearly a century, according to the American Bar Association.
Joining Massie's efforts is Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who mentioned they are working on drafting the contempt motion and forming a bipartisan coalition aimed at imposing fines on Bondi for each day of non-compliance with the release of documents. Unlike impeachment, Massie noted that this strategy would only necessitate support from the House of Representatives.
On the other hand, Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche, dismissed the threat, asserting that they are fulfilling their obligations. During an NBC News interview, he remarked, Not even a little bit. Bring it on. We are doing everything we're supposed to be doing to comply with the statute. He highlighted the task of reviewing approximately a million pages of documents, most containing sensitive victim information, and assured that additional material will be released in the coming weeks.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine commented on the situation, suggesting that contempt or impeachment efforts may be premature, advocating for alternative measures to ensure compliance, and pointing out existing tools in appropriations legislation.
Furthermore, it was revealed that certain Epstein files released were later removed from the DoJ website due to concerns raised by victims, though some materials, including a controversial image involving Trump, were reinstated after review.
