US justice department will not release all Epstein files by Friday deadline, official says

December 19, 2025

The U.S. Department of Justice has begun releasing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein investigations as required by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated full disclosure by December 19. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that several hundred thousand pages will be released initially, with more to follow in coming weeks, though the materials will be heavily redacted to protect victim identities. Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are calling the partial release illegal since the law requires all unclassified files to be made public by the deadline.

Who is affected

Jeffrey Epstein's victims (whose identities are being protected through redactions)
High-profile figures appearing in documents and photos, including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
The U.S. Department of Justice
Democratic and Republican lawmakers (Chuck Schumer, Thomas Massie, Ro Khanna, Robert Garcia)
Lawyers representing Epstein's victims

What action is being taken

The DOJ is releasing several hundred thousand pages of documents related to Epstein investigations
The DOJ is reviewing and redacting documents to protect victim identities
Democratic senators are working with lawyers for Epstein's victims and outside counsel to determine what is being released
House Democrats are publishing batches of documents and photos from Epstein's estate
House lawmakers are sorting through 20,000 documents and 95,000 photos and working to redact potential victims

Why it matters

This release matters because it fulfills a transparency mandate regarding investigations into one of the most notorious sex trafficking cases in recent history. The handling of the release has become legally significant, as Democratic leaders argue the phased approach violates the law's explicit requirement to release all files by the deadline. The case involves protecting vulnerable victims while satisfying public interest in accountability, particularly given the involvement of numerous high-profile figures in Epstein's social circle.

What's next

The DOJ expects to release several hundred thousand more pages over the next couple of weeks
Democratic senators will continue working with lawyers and outside counsel to analyze what is being released versus withheld

Read full article from source: BBC