WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Justice Department said Wednesday that it may need a 鈥渇ew more weeks” to release all of its records on the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after suddenly discovering more than a million potentially relevant documents, further delaying compliance with last Friday鈥檚 congressionally mandated deadline.
The Christmas Eve announcement came hours after a dozen U.S. senators called on the Justice Department鈥檚 watchdog to examine its failure to meet the deadline. The group, 11 Democrats and a Republican, told Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume in a letter that victims 鈥渄eserve full disclosure鈥� and the 鈥減eace of mind鈥� of an independent audit.
The Justice Department said in a social media post that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI 鈥渉ave uncovered over a million more documents鈥� that could be related to the Epstein case 鈥� a stunning 11th hour development after department officials suggested months ago that they had undertaken a comprehensive review that accounted for the vast universe of Epstein-related materials.
In March, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox 草莓传媒 that a 鈥渢ruckload of evidence鈥� had been produced after she ordered the FBI to 鈥渄eliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office.鈥� She issued the directive after saying she learned from an unidentified source that the FBI in New York was 鈥渋n possession of thousands of pages of documents.鈥�
In July, the FBI and Justice Department indicated in an unsigned memo that they had undertaken an 鈥渆xhaustive review鈥� and had determined that no additional evidence should be released 鈥� an extraordinary about face from the Trump administration, which for months had pledged maximum transparency. The memo did not raise the possibility that additional evidence existed that officials were unaware of or had not reviewed.
Wednesday鈥檚 post did not say when the Justice Department was informed of the newly uncovered files.
In a letter last week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Manhattan federal prosecutors already had more than 3.6 million records from sex trafficking investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, though many were copies of material already turned over by the FBI.
The Justice Department said its lawyers are 鈥渨orking around the clock鈥� to review the documents and remove victims names and other identifying information as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted last month that requires the government to on Epstein and Maxwell.
鈥淲e will release the documents as soon as possible,鈥� the department said. 鈥淒ue to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.鈥�
The announcement came amid of Epstein-related records, including from Epstein victims and members of Congress.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, one of the chief authors of the law mandating the document release, posted Wednesday on X: 鈥淒OJ did break the law by making illegal redactions and by missing the deadline.鈥� Another architect of the law, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said he and Massie will 鈥渃ontinue to keep the pressure on鈥� and noted that the Justice Department was releasing more documents after lawmakers threatened contempt.
鈥淎 Christmas Eve news dump of 鈥榓 million more files鈥� only proves what we already know: Trump is engaged in a massive coverup,鈥� Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the DOJ’s announcement. 鈥淭he question Americans deserve answered is simple: WHAT are they hiding 鈥� and WHY?鈥�
The White House on Wednesday defended the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein records.
鈥淧resident Trump has assembled the greatest cabinet in American history, which includes Attorney General Bondi and her team 鈥� like Deputy Attorney General Blanche 鈥� who are doing a great job implementing the President鈥檚 agenda,鈥� spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement.
After releasing an initial wave of records on Friday, the Justice Department posted more batches to its website over the weekend and on Tuesday. The Justice Department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.
Records that have been released, including photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, were either already public or heavily blacked out, and many lacked necessary context. Records that hadn鈥檛 been seen before include transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI agents who described interviews they had with several girls and young women who described being paid to perform sex acts for Epstein.
Other records made public in recent days include a note from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that said Trump had flown on the financier鈥檚 private plane more often than had been previously known and emails between Maxwell and someone who signs off with the initial 鈥淎.鈥� They contain other references that suggest the writer was Britain鈥檚 former Prince Andrew. In one, 鈥淎鈥� writes: 鈥淗ow鈥檚 LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?鈥�
The senators鈥� call Wednesday for an inspector general audit comes days after Schumer introduced a resolution that, if passed, would direct the Senate to file or join lawsuits aimed at forcing the Justice Department to comply with the disclosure and deadline requirements. In a statement, he called the staggered, heavily redacted release 鈥渁 blatant cover-up.鈥�
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in leading the call for an inspector general audit. Others signing the letter were Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota., Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.
鈥淕iven the (Trump) Administration鈥檚 historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,鈥� the senators wrote. Full transparency, they said, 鈥渋s essential in identifying members of our society who enabled and participated in Epstein鈥檚 crimes.鈥�
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Sisak reported from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
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