The Justice Department’s controversial handling of the Epstein files is now under investigation amid claims that key documents were kept under wraps.
The DOJ’s internal watchdog, Inspector General William Blier, announced Thursday that his office is probing the release of the Epstein files and its compliance with a law mandating the public release of records related to the late sex trafficker.
Critics of the department’s lack of transparency—including Epstein survivors—have accused it of failing to make public information about President Donald Trump and other former associates of Jeffrey Epstein.
Trump campaigned on releasing the documents but insisted it was a “hoax” after returning to the White House. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi also backed off on her initial pledge to release the files.
Lawmakers Ro Khanna, a Democrat, and Republican Thomas Massie pushed through the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November, forcing the DOJ to release 3.5 million documents.
But Khanna and Massie, along with other lawmakers and victims of the child predator, have been fiercely critical of the way some key details in the documents about Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell were redacted, and they have insisted that all of the files must be made public to comply with the law.
Announcing the probe on Thursday, the watchdog said: “Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act.”
Blier added in the statement that his office will focus on the collection of the files, the way they were redacted, and the process for “withholding material consistent with the requirements enumerated in the Act.”
He said a report would be released with his conclusions.
Lawyer Brittany Henderson, who represents more than 100 Epstein victims, welcomed the audit in a statement to MS Now. “It should not have taken this long to begin holding the U.S. Department of Justice accountable, but this audit will bring a long-awaited sense of temporary relief to many victims of Epstein,” she said.
“We can only hope this audit is conducted in a meaningful way—one that leads to real accountability and, ultimately, reparations for the victims who were re-victimized and harmed by these failures."
The Justice Department has insisted it has complied with the law and has not held back documents to protect powerful people, including Trump.
Epstein died in prison in 2019, accused of trafficking and abusing scores of young women. Maxwell, his co-conspirator and former girlfriend, is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.
