Washington, D.C. — The Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted versions of millions of documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, following bipartisan pressure and mounting criticism over the scope of redactions applied to previously released materials.
According to a letter obtained by Axios, lawmakers will be granted access beginning Feb. 9 to more than 3 million Epstein-related documents that have already been made public in redacted form. The decision comes after Democrats argued that the Justice Department may be violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act by withholding documents or redacting material beyond what the law permits.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) formally requested access to the full, unredacted records last week, citing concerns that redactions were being used to shield reputational or political interests rather than to protect victims’ identities. The law allows withholding only in narrow circumstances, such as safeguarding personally identifiable information of victims.
Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis said members of the House and Senate will be permitted to view the documents in a secure DOJ reading room from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Lawmakers must provide 24 hours’ notice and are prohibited from bringing electronic devices, though handwritten notes are allowed.
Davis said the review reflects the department’s commitment to transparency and confidence that its handling of the records complies with federal law.
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