DOJ Pushes Back Against Lawmakers Over Epstein File Oversight
1 week ago
The U.S. Justice Department is opposing a request from Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie to appoint a special master to monitor the release of documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein.
Khanna, a California Democrat, and Massie, a Kentucky Republican, have criticized the DOJ for the slow pace of making the records public. They asked a New York federal judge to allow them to file a brief arguing for independent oversight.
In a letter filed Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that the lawmakers do not have standing in the case and should not be allowed to intervene. The DOJ noted that it has 5.2 million pages of documents left to review, requiring the efforts of hundreds of lawyers across multiple department offices through late January.
The documents are part of ongoing investigations connected to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
Khanna, a California Democrat, and Massie, a Kentucky Republican, have criticized the DOJ for the slow pace of making the records public. They asked a New York federal judge to allow them to file a brief arguing for independent oversight.
In a letter filed Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that the lawmakers do not have standing in the case and should not be allowed to intervene. The DOJ noted that it has 5.2 million pages of documents left to review, requiring the efforts of hundreds of lawyers across multiple department offices through late January.
The documents are part of ongoing investigations connected to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.
