The Department of Justice is currently facing massive scrutiny after a recent court filing revealed that they have released less than one percent of the notorious Jeffrey Epstein documents, as per The Guardian. This news comes despite a federal law requiring the vast majority of these documents to be public by December 19.
The DOJ conceded that they have only published 12,285 documents so far. Those documents total 125,575 pages. However, the department still holds more than two million potentially responsive documents that are currently in various phases of review. Naturally, Democrats are stepping up their criticism of the Trump administration, accusing them of “lawlessness” for keeping these crucial records under seal.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer posted a sharp question on X: “What are they trying to hide?” He specifically accused the DOJ of failing to submit a required unredacted list to Congress detailing all government officials and politically exposed persons named in the files. Schumer pointed out that the administration first broke the law 17 days ago when it missed the deadline.
The pressure is bipartisan, which shows how serious the situation is
He added that the releases made so far were heavily redacted and included “none of the key documents, and no new information on the 10 alleged Epstein co-conspirators.” He made it clear he intends to “do everything in my power to ensure all the files come out.”
On the flip side, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote a five-page update to federal New York judge Paul Engelmayer, defending the department’s slow pace. Bondi asserted that efforts to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims are a top priority, and that necessary redactions are slowing down the whole process.
She emphasized the monumental scale of the task, stating that the work “has required and will continue to require substantial department resources.” We are talking about a huge commitment here. About 400 Justice Department lawyers are supporting the compliance efforts, along with 100 FBI document analysts who specialize in sensitive material.
Todd Blanche, the deputy attorney general, insisted last week that the department is totally committed to “transparency and protecting victims.” He noted that hundreds of people sacrificed their holidays to work on the case, calling it “an all-hands-on-deck approach.” Blanche reiterated that “Required redactions to protect victims take time but they will not stop these materials from being released.”
The pressure is not just coming from the Senate, either. Democratic California congressman Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky are even considering filing an inherent contempt lawsuit against Attorney General Bondi.
Published: Jan 7, 2026 12:00 pm