Washington, D.C. — Rep. Thomas Massie is escalating criticism of the Trump administration over its partial release of Jeffrey Epstein-related records, accusing the Department of Justice of openly disregarding a transparency law Congress passed earlier this fall.
In a social media post Friday, Massie argued the DOJ is “flaunting the law” by withholding internal communications tied to decisions about charging or not charging Epstein and related figures. He urged the public to compare the language of the Epstein Files Transparency Act with a DOJ letter sent to Congress asserting privilege to omit certain materials. Massie said the statute explicitly requires disclosure of internal deliberations, while the department claims those records are not specified by law.
The DOJ, led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, has defended the phased rollout, saying thousands of documents were released by the statutory deadline and that additional materials will follow after further review. Blanche said delays are necessary to protect victims’ identities and sensitive information, particularly within grand jury materials, and emphasized that more releases are expected in the coming weeks.
Frustration is growing across party lines. Rep. Ro Khanna, Massie’s Democratic co-sponsor of the legislation, has also criticized the scope of redactions, while Reps. Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin said they are exploring legal options in response to what they describe as noncompliance. Victims’ advocates have echoed concerns that excessive redactions undermine the law’s intent.
The DOJ counters that its actions exceed transparency levels of prior administrations and argues the December deadline marked an initial release, not the end of disclosures. Massie disputes that interpretation, saying the law’s requirements are clear and immediate, and warning that continued delays risk violating both the spirit and letter of the statute.
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