DOJ Watchdog Epstein Files Audit Proceeds As Trump IG Nominee Awaits Confirmation
The Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General has begun a formal audit of the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, focusing on redactions, removed documents and other release decisions. The New York Times reported the review has officially started.
The audit will examine how DOJ identified, redacted and released records tied to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and will probe "post-release publication concerns," the watchdog said in filings and briefings summarized by CBS News. DOJ collected more than 6 million pages of records and released over 3 million pages while later removing roughly 47,000 files, a move that left about 2.7 million pages publicly accessible, CBS found. Career deputy William Blier is serving as acting inspector general while President Trump's nominee, Don Berthiaume, waits Senate confirmation; that nomination and the audit's timing were highlighted by MS NOW. The Wall Street Journal noted the review will scrutinize how officials decided which names to redact and which documents to withhold from public release (WSJ).
The audit follows a law Congress passed to force transparency after bipartisan pressure. Lawmakers introduced the Epstein Files Transparency Act in mid-2025 and the president signed it on November 19, 2025, with a deadline for releases in December. The Justice Department missed that deadline, published millions of pages months later with heavy redactions, and then removed tens of thousands of files—moves that prompted senators and survivors to demand an inspector general review.
Early coverage and DOJ statements stressed compliance and denied any intent to shield powerful figures, but reporting and legal advocates have grown more skeptical. Initial reporting framed the releases as largely responsive, yet critics including former inspector general Michael Bromwich say an audit by the OIG's Audit Division is too narrow and urged a full investigative review with interviews of senior officials; that dispute over scope and sufficiency is at the core of the current debate (CBS News, MS NOW, WSJ).
Show source details & analysis (5 sources)
đź“Š Relevant Data
The Epstein Files Transparency Act (H.R. 4405) was signed into law by President Donald Trump on November 19, 2025, requiring the Department of Justice to publish all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in a searchable and downloadable format. ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405)) ([Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4405))
H.R.4405 - 119th Congress (2025-2026): Epstein Files Transparency Act — Congress.gov
Don Berthiaume, nominated by President Trump to be the permanent DOJ Inspector General, has served as acting Inspector General since October 2025 and spent 10 years investigating DOJ misconduct, including reviewing surveillance errors in the Trump-Russia probe. ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog)) ([Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-10-06/trump-taps-longtime-investigator-to-serve-as-next-justice-department-watchdog))
Amid Justice Department purges, Trump taps career official as next watchdog — Los Angeles Times
According to the DOJ Office of the Inspector General, audits focus on evaluating the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of programs and operations, while investigations determine whether allegations of criminal or administrative misconduct have merit and typically involve interviews, evidence gathering, and focus on specific individuals or incidents. ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines)) ([U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General](https://oig.justice.gov/foia/guidelines))
Information Quality Guidelines — U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
đź“Ś Key Facts
- The DOJ Office of Inspector General has formally begun an audit under the Epstein Files Transparency Act to evaluate DOJ processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell records, including post‑release publication concerns.
- The review will examine how officials decided which names to redact, why specific documents were removed after posting, and whether redaction errors or withholding decisions shielded high‑profile figures from scrutiny (Wall Street Journal).
- DOJ collected more than 6 million pages of Epstein‑related records and released over 3 million pages, but CBS found the department removed more than 47,000 files (about 65,500 pages), leaving roughly 2.7 million pages publicly available (CBS News).
- President Trump has nominated Don Berthiaume to serve permanently as DOJ Inspector General while the OIG conducts the Epstein‑files audit; the nominee is awaiting Senate confirmation (CBS News).
- Career DOJ official William Blier, a roughly 40‑year department employee and longtime deputy inspector general, is currently serving as acting inspector general and is overseeing the audit (MS NOW).
- Former DOJ inspector general Michael Bromwich criticized handling the matter as an audit rather than a special investigation, arguing a proper review should include interviews of former AG Pam Bondi, acting AG Todd Blanche and former FBI official Kash Patel—steps he said fall outside the Audit Division’s typical scope (MS NOW).
- Lawmakers including Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, along with Epstein survivors and Democratic officials, had pressed the inspector general since at least December 2025 to investigate possible tampering or improper withholding; survivors’ attorneys called the audit a first step but warned it must be meaningful and not partisan, reiterating demands for accountability and reparations (CBS News).
- Then‑Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly insisted the DOJ complied with the law and did not protect anyone, and later said the Epstein files 'should not be a part of anything going forward' at the department (CBS News).
đź“° Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- President Trump has nominated former acting inspector general Don Berthiaume to permanently lead DOJ's Office of the Inspector General while that office conducts the Epstein Files Transparency Act audit.
- Career DOJ official William Blier, a roughly 40‑year department employee and longtime deputy inspector general, is currently serving as acting inspector general and overseeing the audit.
- Former DOJ inspector general Michael Bromwich publicly criticized the decision to handle the Epstein files matter as an audit rather than a special investigation by the OIG's Oversight and Review Division, calling an audit "an insufficient response."
- Bromwich said a proper review should include interviews of former Attorney General Pam Bondi, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel, and suggested such interviews are outside the Audit Division's typical scope.
- Attorneys for Epstein survivors expressed mixed reactions, welcoming the audit as a first step but warning it must be "meaningful" and not a partisan performance, and reiterating calls for accountability and reparations.
- Confirms that the DOJ Office of Inspector General has formally begun its review of the Epstein files release process under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
- Details the scope of the review, including examination of how DOJ decided which names to redact, why specific documents were removed after posting, and how internal guidance handled high-profile names.
- Reports fresh reaction from lawmakers and survivors who argue that removed documents and heavy redactions may have shielded influential figures from scrutiny.
- Wall Street Journal reports that the DOJ inspector general is reviewing how officials decided which names to redact and which materials to withhold from public release.
- Article reiterates that millions of Epstein and Maxwell records were released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, with some files withheld and others heavily redacted.
- Confirms that scrutiny of DOJ centers on redaction errors and withholding decisions tied to those releases.
- Confirms the OIG audit will specifically evaluate DOJ processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell records under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
- Details that DOJ collected more than 6 million pages of Epstein-related records and ultimately released over 3 million pages while withholding a portion for reasons including survivor privacy and ongoing investigations.
- Reports that CBS found DOJ removed more than 47,000 previously posted files, about 65,500 pages, leaving roughly 2.7 million pages currently public, with removed links now returning 'page not found' errors.
- Notes that then–Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche publicly insisted DOJ complied with the law and did not protect President Trump or anyone else, while also saying public 'hunger' for information would not be satisfied.
- Adds that Blanche, now acting attorney general, later told Fox News the Epstein files 'should not be a part of anything going forward' at DOJ.
- States that President Trump has nominated career government attorney Don Berthiaume to be the next DOJ inspector general, who would oversee the OIG conducting this audit.
- Specifies that the OIG will also examine DOJ processes for handling 'post-release publication concerns' tied to the Epstein documents.
- Recaps that Rep. Ro Khanna, Rep. Thomas Massie, Epstein survivors, and Democratic lawmakers have been pressing the inspector general since at least December 2025 to investigate possible tampering or improper withholding of records.