A dozen senators are calling for an audit into the Department of Justice’s failure to release all records related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by Friday’s congressionally mandated deadline.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, joined 11 Democrats in signing a letter that says the DOJ violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which ordered the full release of the Epstein files with minimal redactions by Dec. 19.
The Wednesday letter urges Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume to audit the department’s compliance with the law.
“Given the Administration’s 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,” the letter reads.
Of the released documents, many were “so heavily redacted that there are serious questions as to whether the Department is properly applying the limited exceptions for redaction that are permitted under the Act.”
The bill dictates the limited circumstances that permit withholding or redacting documents. But because the DOJ is in the process of releasing all of its Epstein-related materials, Congress is unable to fully assess “whether records were inappropriately withheld or redacted.”
The letter follows Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer introducing a resolution that would allow the Senate to sue the DOJ to force it to comply with the disclosure and deadline requirements.
On the day of the deadline, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote to Congress to explain that “due to the volume of materials,” the DOJ would release the documents on a “rolling basis.”
The DOJ has pinpointed its staggered release to the tedious process of obscuring victims’ identities.
The lawmakers say that the department’s acting Inspector General, Dan Berthiaume, is “ideally placed” to conduct an audit because of his full access to the files.
After President Trump fired over a dozen inspectors general, Michael Horowitz kept his position as the head of the DOJ’s internal watchdog. He moved to the top inspector general post at the Federal Reserve in June. Mr. Berthiaume was tapped in October to become the DOJ’s inspector general.
