The FBI and Southern District of New York found more than a million documents at least partly related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday morning in a posting on X.com.
“The DOJ has received these documents from SDNY and the FBI to review them for release, in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, existing statutes, and judicial orders,” post said. “We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible.”
The files won’t be released immediately because of the volume of the records.
“Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks,” the X.com post said. “The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files.”
The Justice Department began releasing the files Dec. 19 after Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act which gave the department 30 days to make the document’s public.
Some lawmakers are criticizing the slow release of the files, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., are threatening to hold U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt.
“The results are in: nobody is buying this bogus Epstein release. The DOJ needs to quit protecting the rich, powerful, and politically connected,” Massie said on X.com on Monday.
More than 30,000 new files were released Tuesday. The Justice Department said some files are “fake.” One of the files is a letter from Epstein to convicted sex offender Larry Nassar dated Aug. 13, 2019 that said, “Our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls.”
Epstein was found dead in his prison cell on Aug. 10, three days after the date on the postcard, and the handwriting also did not match Epstein’s, the DOJ said.
Trump, who is pictured with Epstein in some of the files, admits he spent time with Epstein but said he ended the relationship years before Epstein’s arrest. Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the Epstein case.
The Justice Department defended the release of documents it considers “fake” in response to a question on X from journalist Jamie Dupree.
“Because the law requires us to release all documents related to Jeffrey Epstein in our possession so that’s what we are doing, you dope,” the DOJ said in a post on X.com. “Are you suggesting we break the law?”
Massie responded to the DOJ post, saying, “By the way, who’s controlling the DOJ X account on Christmas Eve and using words like ‘dope’ to refer to reporters?”
He later posted a video of Bondi where she claimed the Epstein files were on her desk.
“So what you’re saying is the files were never on AG Pam Bondi’s desk like she claimed in this video?” Massie said.
