DOJ: Courts Cannot Allow A Neutral Expert To Oversee Epstein Files Release
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Justice officials filed a letter in federal court opposing a request from two lawmakers to appoint a special master to oversee the release of the Epstein Files. Additionally, the DOJ violates the law by failing to meet the congressionally mandated deadline to release the Epstein files.
Trump signed into law the "Epstein Files Transparency Act" on November 19, 2025, which required the DOJ to release all unclassified files related to Epstein within 30 days by December 19, 2025. Now it's January 17th, and they're seeking to block the effort by two members of Congress, GOP Rep. Thomas Massie and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, to force outside oversight of the release of the files, arguing the lawmakers have no legal standing to intervene in the now-closed criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
KCRA reports:
Manhattan's top federal prosecutor said Friday that a judge lacks the authority to appoint a neutral expert to oversee the public release of documents in the sex trafficking probe of financier Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
Judge Paul A. Engelmayer was told in a letter signed by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton that he must reject a request this week by the congressional cosponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to appoint a neutral expert.