On Sunday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department’s decision to release only a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline, arguing the move was necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse.
The Department’s Stance
Blanche told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the agency is continuing to review documents “simply to protect victims.” He said the Trump administration would eventually meet its legal obligation, but the department must act cautiously when making thousands of documents public, many of which contain sensitive information. The partial release on Friday included photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents.
Criticism from Democrats
Democratic lawmakers reacted sharply. Representative Jamie Raskin, D-Md., accused the Justice Department of obstructing the law, saying, “It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public, either about himself, other members of his family, friends, Jeffrey Epstein, or just the social, business, cultural network that he was involved in for at least a decade, if not longer.” Raskin spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Removal of Trump Photo and Other Documents
Blanche also defended the department’s decision to remove several files from its public webpage, including a photograph showing Trump less than a day after it was posted. The missing files, which were available Friday but no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women and a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. Inside a drawer among other photos was a photograph of Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Blanche explained that the documents were removed because they also showed victims of Epstein. He said the Trump photo and the other documents will be reposted once redactions are made to protect survivors. “It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche said. “There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released to the public seeing him with Mr. Epstein.”
Ongoing Review and New Victim Names
The Justice Department continues to review the trove of documents and has learned the names of additional potential victims in recent days, Blanche said. The partial release, replete with redactions, has not dulled the clamor for information, given how many records had yet to be released and because some of the materials had already been made public.
Blanche also defended the Bureau of Prisons’ decision to transfer Ghislaine Maxwell to a less restrictive, minimum-security federal prison earlier this year, soon after she was interviewed about Epstein. Maxwell is serving a 20-year federal prison sentence for her 2021 conviction for sex-trafficking crimes. “She was suffering numerous and numerous threats against her life,” Blanche said. “So the BOP is not only responsible for putting people in jail and making sure they stay in jail, but also for their safety.”
Potential Impeachment and Congressional Response
Representative Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky., indicated they could draft articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi for what they see as the gross failure of the department to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Khanna said on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” “It’s not about the timeline, it’s about the selective concealment. The redactions in the released files are excessive. I believe there will be bipartisan support in holding her accountable, and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on ABC’s “This Week” that there needs “to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,” but he stopped short of backing impeachment.
Blanche dismissed the impeachment talk. “Bring it on,” he said. “We are doing everything we’re supposed to be doing to comply with this statute.”
Key Takeaways
- The Justice Department released a partial set of Epstein files Friday, citing victim protection.
- Democratic lawmakers accuse the department of covering up information linked to former President Trump.
- Documents featuring Trump were removed from public access but will be reposted after redactions.
The debate over the release of the Epstein files continues as the Justice Department reviews more documents and learns new potential victim names, while congressional leaders weigh potential accountability measures for Attorney General Pam Bondi.
