DOJ Tells Judges It Will Finish Epstein Files 'Soon' After Missing Deadline, Won’t Give Date
In a court letter signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche and SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, DOJ said "hundreds" of employees are manually reviewing millions of pages, audio and video to redact victim‑identifying information and expects to publish "substantially all" Epstein‑related records "in the near term" but would not give a concrete completion date, even though it missed the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s Dec. 19 deadline. U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer also denied Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie’s bid to intervene in the closed Ghislaine Maxwell case to appoint a monitor — saying they lack standing and must pursue a separate lawsuit or congressional oversight — while DOJ has so far released about 12,285 documents (125,575 pages) out of more than 2 million potentially responsive records (less than 1%).
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer denied Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie’s motion to intervene in the closed Ghislaine Maxwell criminal case and refused to appoint a court‑supervised monitor or special master, saying the court lacks jurisdiction and the Maxwell indictment predates and was not brought under the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA).
- Engelmayer wrote the questions about DOJ compliance are “undeniably important and timely,” and noted letters from Epstein survivors accusing DOJ of “paying lip service,” but said the lawmakers must pursue a separate civil lawsuit or use congressional oversight rather than inserting themselves into the criminal docket.
- DOJ missed the EFTA’s Dec. 19 statutory deadline; as of early January it had published about 12,285 documents (125,575 pages) while more than 2 million additional documents remain in various stages of review—meaning less than 1% of potentially responsive records have been released so far.
- In a letter to judges in the Epstein and Maxwell matters, DOJ said it expects to complete review and publication of “substantially all” Epstein‑related records “in the near term” but declined to provide a specific completion date.
- DOJ officials (including AG Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche and SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton) told the court that hundreds of employees are manually reviewing millions of pages plus audio and video, running electronic name searches and redacting material to protect victim identities, and argued that careful review is legally required—not an open defiance of the law.
- Khanna and Massie vowed to pursue “every legal option” and other avenues (civil suits and congressional tools) to force DOJ compliance after the ruling.
- The delay and DOJ’s limited timeline have political and public‑trust implications: Axios/YouGov polling found 69% of U.S. adults believe the government is covering up evidence about Epstein and 61% disapprove of former President Trump’s handling of Epstein investigations; the filings come amid escalating congressional pressure, including Oversight subpoenas for figures tied to Epstein and contempt votes related to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 28, 2026
4:46 PM
More Epstein files coming soon, DOJ says, a month past deadline
New information:
- Axios specifies that AG Pam Bondi, Deputy AG Todd Blanche and SDNY U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton jointly told the court that 'hundreds of employees' have been reviewing millions of pages plus audio and video to minimize release of victim-identifying information.
- The piece reiterates that DOJ still refuses to give a concrete completion date, using only 'near term,' despite now being more than a month past the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s Dec. 19 deadline.
- Axios adds fresh YouGov polling showing 69% of U.S. adults believe the government is covering up evidence it has about Epstein and 61% disapprove of Trump’s handling of Epstein investigations, underscoring political and trust fallout.
- The article connects DOJ’s promised 'Epstein Library' updates to recent House Oversight subpoenas for Les Wexner, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, and contempt votes for Bill and Hillary Clinton, situating the filing within escalating congressional pressure.
3:58 AM
DOJ says it will finish releasing Epstein files soon, but doesn't offer timeline
New information:
- DOJ sent a new letter to the judges in the Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases saying it expects to complete review and publication of 'substantially all' Epstein‑related records 'in the near term' but cannot provide a specific date.
- The letter says hundreds of DOJ employees are manually reviewing millions of pages and running electronic name searches to identify and redact hundreds of potential victims, and warns further efforts may be needed to protect victim identities.
- As of early January DOJ had released 12,285 documents totaling 125,575 pages, while more than 2 million additional documents remain in various stages of review, meaning less than 1% of potentially responsive records have been published so far.
- DOJ pushes back on Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie’s claim that it is 'openly defying the law,' arguing the Act does not give them enforcement power in the Maxwell case and that careful manual review is legally required to protect survivors.
- The article reiterates that the Epstein Files Transparency Act gave DOJ 30 days from mid‑November to release the records, that the mid‑December deadline has already passed, and that the judge in Maxwell’s case has said Khanna and Massie can file a separate suit if they want to challenge DOJ’s compliance.
January 21, 2026
11:13 PM
Lawmakers can sue to ensure Epstein files release, but not as part of Maxwell case, judge says
New information:
- Judge Paul A. Engelmayer formally denied Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie’s motion to intervene in Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal case to appoint a court‑supervised monitor over DOJ’s Epstein files disclosures.
- Engelmayer held that he has no authority, as the judge on Maxwell’s case, to supervise DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act and that the lawmakers lack standing to insert themselves into that criminal docket.
- The judge explicitly said Khanna and Massie may file a separate civil lawsuit if they want a court‑appointed observer and noted they remain free to use congressional oversight tools, but he cannot graft their request onto Maxwell’s case.
- Engelmayer acknowledged receiving letters and emails from Epstein abuse survivors backing the lawmakers’ bid and wrote that their concerns about DOJ compliance are “undeniably important and timely,” though procedurally misdirected.
- The article reiterates that DOJ has missed the Dec. 19 statutory deadline, has hundreds of lawyers reviewing more than 2 million documents, and has so far released only about 12,000, prompting Khanna to say they will pursue “every legal option” to force disclosure.
7:00 PM
Federal judge blocks lawmakers' effort to force DOJ release of Epstein files
New information:
- Confirms the ruling is a seven-page order that explicitly says the court lacks jurisdiction to appoint a special master to police DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act in the closed Ghislaine Maxwell criminal case.
- Spells out Judge Engelmayer’s rationale that Khanna and Massie are not parties to the Maxwell case, that the indictment predates EFTA and was not brought under that statute, and that the case is now 'effectively closed.'
- Includes fresh reactions from Reps. Khanna and Massie, both vowing to 'use other avenues' and 'every legal option' to force DOJ compliance while noting the judge said they raised 'legitimate concerns' about whether DOJ is following the law.
- Reiterates that DOJ has missed the EFTA’s Dec. 19 deadline and confirms only a fraction of the required Epstein files has been released so far, with DOJ blaming the slow pace on redactions to protect victims’ identities.
5:49 PM
Judge rules against lawmakers pressing for monitor to ensure release of Epstein files
New information:
- U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled that Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie lack standing to intervene in the Ghislaine Maxwell criminal case to enforce the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
- Engelmayer held that he has no authority via the Maxwell case to supervise DOJ’s compliance with the Act or appoint an independent monitor to oversee release of more than 2 million Epstein-related documents.
- The judge said the questions about DOJ compliance are "undeniably important and timely" but told the lawmakers they must instead use a civil lawsuit or congressional tools for oversight.
- Engelmayer noted victims’ letters accusing DOJ of "paying lip service" and failing to treat them with proper solicitude, but still rejected intervention in the criminal docket as procedurally improper.
January 16, 2026