Senate Democrats believe the Justice Department is unlikely to release its full Epstein case files by Friday as required under a law Congress enacted last month and are preparing for a court fight.
The law Congress passed with near universal support requires Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials” in the Justice Department’s possession that relate to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The measure gave the Justice Department 30 days to comply, and the deadline is Friday.
“President Trump has a choice, follow the law and release the files or break the law and continue to hide the truth from the American people,” said Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat. “Let me be blunt: We fully expect Trump, Bondi and their minions to dodge, delay or partially release these files.”
Senate Democrats formed a 13-member task force to prepare for “every scenario” and have been working with legal experts and attorneys for Epstein’s victims to prepare to go to court to enforce the law if needed.
Mr. Schumer said he expects there would be bipartisan support for legal action, but that the “number one ally in this is the American people.”
“Obviously we would pursue every legal, legislative and administrative way to get this done as well, but public pressure will be everything,” he said.
During Mr. Trump’s first term, the Justice Department charged Epstein with sex trafficking minors but he died in jail, in what authorities said was a suicide, before he could stand trail. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted for her role in the sex trafficking scheme.
Lawmakers want to know who else was involved, and believe releasing the files will reveal that.
Senate Democrats are confident that working with Epstein’s victims, they can identify anything the Justice Department may exclude from the release.
“We will know what they are concealing because of the survivors,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat. “The survivors will give us the knowledge we need to pursue the truth.”
