US Department of Justice watchdog to probe release of Epstein files

An internal watchdog for the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) will review whether the federal government complied with a law mandating the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein files.

The Office of Inspector General, which operates independently of the department, explained on Thursday that its probe would focus on Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November.
“Our primary objective is to evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the act,” the office said in a statement.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandated the release of all unclassified records related to Epstein in the Justice Department’s possession.

It also required those files to be easily downloadable and searchable, and it limited redactions to what is necessary to protect victims and classified information. The act stipulated that the Department of Justice had 30 days to comply.

“No record shall be withheld, delayed, or redacted on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, including to any government official, public figure, or foreign dignitary,” the law says.

But critics have questioned whether the administration of President Donald Trump fully followed the law.

Under Trump, the Justice Department has released several batches of information, the most significant being a catalogue of 3.5 million pages published on January 30.

But that came well after the act’s 30-day window, and critics have questioned why certain information was included — or excluded.
Lawmakers, for instance, have accused the Trump administration of using heavy redactions to protect the identities of powerful individuals named in the files.

Survivors of Epstein’s abuse also expressed anger at how the files were handled, saying that personal information about them had been disclosed.

Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting federal charges, has been accused of running a years-long transnational sex-trafficking scheme whose victims could number in the hundreds.

A wealthy financier, Epstein moved among some of the most powerful circles of society, maintaining relationships with politicians, academics, business leaders and artists.

Among his connections were two US presidents — Trump and Bill Clinton — as well as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a former prince in the United Kingdom whose royal title was stripped last year in the wake of the Epstein scandal.