Epstein files live updates: Congress members and survivors ‘frustrated’ over DOJ releasing only a portion of files by deadline
More files were supposedly set to be released by Monday afternoon, but the Department of Justice has yet to reveal anything new
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill and survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged abuse have aired their frustrations over the Department of Justice releasing only a portion of its files on the late convicted sex offender by it’s December 19 deadline.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said on X earlier Monday that the DOJ would be releasing another batch of materials from the Epstein files by the afternoon. But the agency has yet to share anything new as of 5 p.m. ET.
Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who both sponsored legislation to release the files, have engaged in a pressure campaign against the DOJ for not yet sharing the full extent of the documents. Some lawmakers have accused officials of covering up for high-profile individuals affiliated with Epstein.
Nearly two dozen Epstein survivors have also spoken out against the DOJ for it’s incomplete and heavily redacted files dump.
“At the same time, numerous victim identities were left unredacted, causing real and immediate harm,” the survivors wrote in a statement.
The survivors said it was “alarming” that the DOJ “has violated the law, both by withholding massive quantities of documents, and by failing to redact survivor identities.”
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Glaring gaps in Epstein files as DOJ release offers scant new insight into his crimes
Full story: Trump complains about Epstein files distracting from his agenda as DOJ comes under fire over limited release
President Donald Trump has criticized the release of thousands of documents from cases against Jeffrey Epstein, warning they could “ruin the reputation” of high-profile figures who were “innocently” photographed alongside the convicted sex offender and “deflect” from his administration’s accomplishments.
In his first public remarks since the Department of Justice started to publish thousands of images and heavily redacted materials, the president said the release of images of former President Bill Clinton and others photographed with Epstein is a “terrible thing.”
“You probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago,” Trump said from his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida. “A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they’re in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruin the reputation of somebody.”
Growing pressure from members of Congress to release the long-awaited files is merely an attempt to “deflect from the tremendous success” of the Republican Party and the Trump administration, and Republican lawmakers who support the disclosures are “being used,” the president told reporters.
Read on...
Trump says Epstein files ‘deflect’ from his agenda while DOJ comes under fire
Pam Bondi’s approval rating has fallen by nearly 50 points in the last year as she faces fallout from the Epstein files
Public opinion of Attorney General Pam Bondi has cratered, with a recent poll finding public opinion of her has plunged nearly 50 percent in the last 10 months, a striking referendum on one of the Trump administration’s most prominent figures handling hot-button issues such as deportations and the Epstein files.
Bondi’s popularity peaked in February, according to polling from AtlasIntel, when she had a net six percent positive image with respondents. Since then, Americans have largely turned on the former Florida attorney general, and they now hold a 41-point net negative view of Bondi.
The latest polling, based off answers from 2,315 respondents, captured public sentiment in the week ending on Friday, December 19, when Bondi’s Justice Department faced a statutory deadline to release the Epstein files.
While the DOJ has started releasing some files, the disclosure has been marked with delay and controversy. Scores of files now available to the public have been heavily redacted, angering Epstein survivors. The department also deleted then restored a file from its public portal containing photos of Donald Trump, raising suspicions of political interference, which the DOJ denied.
Read on...
Pam Bondi’s approval rating has fallen nearly 50 points as she faces Epstein fallout
Adam Schiff signals support of Senate resolution to initiate legal action against DOJ over Epstein files
Earlier Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced he was introducing a resolution to initiate legal action against the Department of Justice “for its blatant disregard of the law in its refusal to release the complete Epstein files.”
In a show of support for Schumer’s resolution, Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, wrote on X Monday evening, “The Senate unanimously passed the law requiring the release of the Epstein Files. In the face of the DOJ's stonewalling and cover-up of documents required to be made public, the Senate must demand the law be enforced.”
The DOJ has released thousands of documents on the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the public have aired their frustrations that not all of the files have been released, and that was has been shared was heavily redacted.
Trump fact-checked on number of Epstein files released
President Donald Trump told reporters Monday evening that he believes the Justice Department released 100,000 pages of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
NBC News’ Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent Ryan Nobles said “even the most generous estimates of what has been released so far is less than 10k pages and that includes all the pages that have been redacted.”
Read full statement by Epstein survivors bashing DOJ's partial files release
Survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have released a statement calling it “alarming” that the Department of Justice “has violated the law, both by withholding massive quantities of documents, and by failing to redact survivor identities.”
Epstein survivor 'mortified' her name is in files: report
A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged abuse is “mortified” her name is not redacted in recently released government files on the late convicted sex offender, according to a new CNN report.
The Epstein survivor, who only identifies herself as “Jane Doe,” told Department of Justice officials over the weekend that her information was in the files released last Friday, according to an email exchange viewed by CNN.
While the public and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have pushed the DOJ to release the trove of documents it has on Epstein, there are some documents that the agency can withhold by law, including anything that could reveal a victims’ identity.
CNN said Jane Doe’s name was still seen multiple times in the files as of Monday afternoon.
“The reason I feel so passionate is it’s not just about me and what happened. I fear for the little girl who’s calling the FBI right now and asking for help,” the Epstein survivor said. “I am so afraid for her, because if I have to do all of this right now…I have no words. I just have no words. It hurts my heart. It haunts me to my core.”
Watch: SNL skewers Trump over Epstein files redactions
Trump said people are 'very angry' at Epstein files' reputation-ruining release
President Donald Trump has said people are “very angry” at the release of government files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“A lot of people are very angry that pictures are being released of other people that really had nothing to do with Epstein, but they're in a picture with him because he was at a party, and you ruin a reputation of somebody,” Trump told reporters Monday evening.
Trump says 'everybody was friendly with' Epstein
President Donald Trump told reporters Monday evening “everybody was friendly with” the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
When asked about photos of former President Bill Clinton that were released in the Justice Department’s files on Epstein last Friday, Trump said, “I hate to see photos come out of him,” and added that there were photos of himself in the files too.
“Everybody was friendly with this guy...he was all over Palm Beach and other places,” Trump said, adding that he had kicked Epstein out of his Mar-a-Lago club when their relationship soured.
Trump and Clinton have not been formally accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein’s crimes.
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