WASHINGTON, District of Columbia — Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ro Khanna of California are urging a federal judge to appoint a special master to oversee the Department of Justice’s release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, citing concerns about delays and improper redactions.
In a letter sent Thursday to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York, the bipartisan pair argued that DOJ has failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation they co-authored that mandated disclosure of Epstein-related files by December 19, with limited exceptions to protect victims’ privacy.
Massie and Khanna said DOJ missed the statutory deadline and has continued releasing documents incrementally, raising questions about whether the department is intentionally slowing the process. They pointed to a recent DOJ court filing claiming roughly 12,285 documents—about 125,575 pages—have been produced, while acknowledging more than 2 million additional documents potentially responsive to the law. Other reporting has suggested the volume could exceed 5 million pages.
The lawmakers argued those figures are inconsistent with earlier representations and may exaggerate the scope of remaining materials to justify further delays. They also accused DOJ of violating the law by applying extensive redactions that appear to shield politically exposed individuals, which the statute explicitly prohibits.
Citing survivor harm and lack of trust in DOJ’s internal process, Massie and Khanna asked the court to appoint an independent monitor with authority to review disclosures, flag improper redactions, and compel testimony from DOJ officials overseeing the production.
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