Survivors and lawmakers condemn incomplete Epstein files release

Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and congressional lawmakers criticized the Justice Department on Friday after the agency released only a portion of Epstein-related files by the deadline set by a newly enacted law. The Epstein Files Transparency Act gave the department 30 days to publicly make available a broad collection of unclassified records tied to Epstein, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and other figures linked to their cases. The law allows redactions to protect ongoing investigations, national security, or Epstein’s victims.

For survivors, the partial release was seen as a failure to deliver promised transparency. "For survivors, this deadline was not symbolic for us but was a real opportunity to see whether transparency would finally outweigh the protection of powerful interests, after decades of reporting this abuse," said Liz Stein, an Epstein survivor and anti-trafficking advocate. "The DOJ’s partial, staggered release—largely repeating already public information, lacking context, and extending beyond the statutory deadline—violates federal law and risks shielding the individuals and institutions who perpetrated and enabled this abuse, falling far short of the transparency intended by the Epstein Files Transparency Act."

Other survivors told The New York Times that they felt the DOJ had failed them, saying the incomplete and heavily redacted documents provided scant new information about Epstein’s decades of sexual abuse or the efforts to investigate him. "We have been let down," Marina Lacerda, who has alleged she was 14 years old when Epstein began sexually abusing her, said to the outlet. "We waited for this day to bring these other men who have been protected to justice." Speaking to CNN, Gloria Allred, a lawyer who has represented more than 20 of Epstein’s survivors, noted that "there was resistance by this administration to releasing the Epstein files." "The question is, Is there a coverup?" she asked. "What are they hiding?"

The vast trove of materials connected to Epstein and Maxwell remains under review, and it was not immediately clear how much new insight the Friday release would provide given the volume. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News that the Justice Department planned to release "several hundred thousand" documents but would withhold an unspecified amount while lawyers continued to review the materials to ensure victims’ privacy was protected. He said more "several hundred thousand more" records would be released in the coming weeks. The department released some additional files on Saturday.

The release drew sharp rebukes from lawmakers who helped secure the legislation mandating disclosure. In a joint statement, Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Robert Garcia criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi for what they described as defying Congressional subpoenas and pushing back against transparency. They argued that the department was signaling it intends to ignore Congress even as it gave what they described as favorable treatment to Epstein’s co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell. "The survivors of this nightmare deserve justice, the co-conspirators must be held accountable, and the American people deserve complete transparency from DOJ."

Senate Democrats quickly pressed for more information about the redactions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the Friday release a step in the wrong direction, saying, "Simply releasing a mountain of blacked out pages violates the spirit of transparency and the letter of the law." He pointed to a document with 119 pages entirely redacted and said Democrats would determine how to hold the administration accountable and pursue every option to ensure the truth comes out.

Several lawmakers who co-authored the act also weighed in. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, who helped craft the Epstein Files Transparency Act with Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, posted a video on X criticizing the release for lacking explanations for redactions. "Our law requires them to explain redactions. There is not a single explanation," Khanna said, calling the release incomplete and signaling possible actions including impeachment or contempt. Massie, who led the petition that forced the House vote on compelling disclosure, said the release "grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law" and criticized the White House and DOJ for not meeting the deadline. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also urged full disclosure, saying on X, "Release all the files. It’s literally the law."

The files released on Friday contained few references to former President Donald Trump, though the collection included photographs of Epstein’s associates and people known to have interacted with Maxwell and Epstein, including former President Bill Clinton; Prince Andrew, the Duke of York; and others such as Maxwell herself, and various celebrities, journalists, and musicians. None of the individuals named have been accused of illegal activity in connection with Epstein. The presence of public figures in the files has intensified the political glare surrounding the release and the broader handling of Epstein-related investigations.

Legal observers and advocates for Epstein survivors noted that many questions remain about redactions and the scope of what was released. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represents several survivors, told The Guardian that the DOJ’s delay should not be a surprise given the history of the case and called the outcome a reminder that victims have had to fight for years to obtain information. "Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has dragged its feet regarding these documents for the last 18 years so the victims don’t expect much by way of openness or honesty," he said. "The public needs to demand more and continue to require accountability."

Jess Michaels, another survivor who has pressed for disclosures, told MS Now that she was "highly emotional" but felt a sense of validation that the information was now visible, even if delayed. "We’re seeing the exact same delays, negligence, corruption, incompetence that we’ve seen consistently and have been advocating about. So they’ve actually proved our point."

As Congress weighs next steps, advocates caution that a single court-ordered or Congress-enforced release may not fully quell concerns about accountability for Epstein’s abuse and the protection of powerful interests. They say further disclosures are essential to understanding the scale of complicity and the effectiveness of the investigations that spanned decades. The Epstein case continues to reverberate through U.S. politics, prompting ongoing scrutiny of how information is released and how victims’ rights are safeguarded, even as some officials argue for additional time to complete the review pipeline and protect privacy.