In a showdown over the Department of Justice’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein files, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers has turned the DOJ’s delayed release into a potential political crisis. Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna are threatening Attorney General Pam Bondi with fines under the new law and, according to Khanna, even impeachment. The DOJ has yet to meet its statutory deadline of December 19 for releasing all unclassified records, sparking a flurry of congressional actions and survivor outcry.
Bipartisan Pressure
Massie and Khanna, who led the effort to force a vote on the bill that mandates release, are launching an “inherent contempt” push for Bondi. Khanna told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that “Impeachment is a political decision, and is there the support in the House of Representatives? I mean, Massie and I aren’t going to just do something for the show of it, but my sense is, just looking at the initial reactions from people in MAGA, from survivors, is that this release is going to cause as much grief for Pam Bondi as the earlier releases. Susie Wiles said she whiffed. This isn’t building more trust.” The duo also threatened to fine Bondi until the full tranche is released, citing the law’s penalty provisions.
Legal Options and Congressional Actions
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation that would direct the Senate to “initiate legal action” against the DOJ for failing to meet the deadline. Meanwhile, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark sidestepped backing the contempt move but emphasized that the DOJ must comply, saying “Time is up. They signed this law. They knew where fines were and they’ve missed them. And we have two concerns here. One is that we need justice for the survivors. And second is we need this White House and the Department of Justice to comply with the law.” Rep. Robert Garcia urged whistleblowers to come forward, offering a tip line for the Oversight Committee. Senator Tim Kaine called both impeachment and inherent contempt conversations “premature,” noting that “We have tools in appropriations bills and other tools to force compliance if somebody is dragging their feet.” Senator Dick Durbin announced an investigation into the DOJ’s failure to meet the deadline, stating “After mishandling the Epstein files all year, the Trump Administration is now violating federal law to protect the rich and powerful.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the delay, saying the volume of information was “simply too large for attorneys to redact victim identities within the 30-day deadline” and that the department would release “several hundred thousand” documents on Friday, “and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.” Blanche also noted that photos removed from the DOJ website were taken down “amid questions over whether they contained sensitive information about victims,” and that the photograph was later restored.
Survivor and Public Response
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Bondi’s resignation after CBS News reported that a 119-page document labeled “Grand Jury-NY” and three other consecutive documents totaling 255 pages were entirely redacted. She wrote on X: “Now the coverup is out in the open. This is far from over. Everyone involved will have to answer for this. Pam Bondi, Kash Patel, whole admin. Protecting a bunch of rapists and pedophiles because they have money, power, and connections. Bondi should resign tonight.” A group of 18 survivors sent an open letter to Congress, accusing the DOJ of “clear-cut violations of an unambiguous law” and urging immediate oversight, hearings, formal demands for compliance, and legal action to ensure the DOJ fulfills its obligations. Rep. Tim Burchett described the DOJ as a “multileveled onion” and said, “You’re never going to get to the bottom of this thing, Chris, it’s just like the Kennedy assassination.”
Key Takeaways
- Bipartisan lawmakers threaten fines and possible impeachment over DOJ’s delayed release of Epstein files.
- The DOJ cites a massive volume of documents as the reason for the delay, pledging to release hundreds of thousands more in coming weeks.
- Survivors and Congress demand full compliance, with some calling for Bondi’s resignation and legal action against the DOJ.
As Congress returns from recess in January, the debate over how to compel the Department of Justice to honor the law is likely to intensify, with lawmakers and survivors alike demanding transparency and accountability.
