DOJ says it might want a ‘few extra weeks’ to complete releasing Epstein information : NPR

WASHINGTON — The Justice Division stated Wednesday that it might want a “few extra weeks” to launch all of its data on the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein after out of the blue discovering greater than 1,000,000 doubtlessly related paperwork, additional delaying compliance with final Friday’s congressionally mandated deadline.

The Christmas Eve announcement got here hours after a dozen U.S. senators known as on the Justice Division’s watchdog to look at its failure to fulfill the deadline. The group, 11 Democrats and a Republican, advised Performing Inspector Common Don Berthiaume in a letter that victims “deserve full disclosure” and the “peace of thoughts” of an unbiased audit.

The Justice Division stated in a social media submit that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI “have uncovered over 1,000,000 extra paperwork” that might be associated to the Epstein case — a surprising eleventh hour growth after division officers urged months in the past that they’d undertaken a complete overview that accounted for the huge universe of Epstein-related supplies.

In March, Lawyer Common Pam Bondi advised Fox Information {that a} “truckload of proof” had been produced after she ordered the FBI to “ship the total and full Epstein information to my workplace.” She issued the directive after saying she realized from an unidentified supply that the FBI in New York was “in possession of 1000’s of pages of paperwork.”

In July, the FBI and Justice Division indicated in an unsigned memo that they’d undertaken an “exhaustive overview” and had decided that no extra proof must be launched — a unprecedented about face from the Trump administration, which for months had pledged most transparency. The memo didn’t elevate the chance that extra proof existed that officers had been unaware of or had not reviewed.

Wednesday’s submit didn’t say when the Justice Division was knowledgeable of the newly uncovered information.

In a letter final week, Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche stated Manhattan federal prosecutors already had greater than 3.6 million data from intercourse trafficking investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, although many had been copies of fabric already turned over by the FBI.

The Justice Division stated its attorneys are “working across the clock” to overview the paperwork and take away victims names and different figuring out info as required by the Epstein Information Transparency Act, the legislation enacted final month that requires the federal government to open its information on Epstein and Maxwell.

“We are going to launch the paperwork as quickly as potential,” the division stated. “As a result of mass quantity of fabric, this course of could take a number of extra weeks.”

The announcement got here amid rising scrutiny on the Justice Division’s staggered launch of Epstein-related data, together with from Epstein victims and members of Congress.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, one of many chief authors of the legislation mandating the doc launch, posted Wednesday on X: “DOJ did break the legislation by making unlawful redactions and by lacking the deadline.” One other architect of the legislation, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., stated he and Massie will “proceed to maintain the stress on” and famous that the Justice Division was releasing extra paperwork after lawmakers threatened contempt.

“A Christmas Eve information dump of ‘1,000,000 extra information’ solely proves what we already know: Trump is engaged in an enormous coverup,” Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stated after the DOJ’s announcement. “The query People deserve answered is easy: WHAT are they hiding — and WHY?”

The White Home on Wednesday defended the Justice Division’s dealing with of the Epstein data.

“President Trump has assembled the best cupboard in American historical past, which incorporates Lawyer Common Bondi and her group — like Deputy Lawyer Common Blanche — who’re doing an important job implementing the President’s agenda,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated in a press release.

After releasing an preliminary wave of data on Friday, the Justice Division posted extra batches to its web site over the weekend and on Tuesday. The Justice Division has not given any discover when extra data may arrive.

Data which were launched, together with images, interview transcripts, name logs, courtroom data and different paperwork, had been both already public or closely blacked out, and lots of lacked mandatory context. Data that hadn’t been seen earlier than embrace transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI brokers who described interviews they’d with a number of ladies and younger ladies who described being paid to carry out intercourse acts for Epstein.

Different data made public in current days embrace a observe from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that stated Trump had flown on the financier’s personal aircraft extra typically than had been beforehand identified and emails between Maxwell and somebody who indicators off with the preliminary “A.” They include different references that counsel the author was Britain’s former Prince Andrew. In a single, “A” writes: “How’s LA? Have you ever discovered me some new inappropriate buddies?”

The senators’ name Wednesday for an inspector common audit comes days after Schumer launched a decision that, if handed, would direct the Senate to file or be part of lawsuits geared toward forcing the Justice Division to adjust to the disclosure and deadline necessities. In a press release, he known as the staggered, closely redacted launch “a blatant cover-up.”

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in main the decision for an inspector common audit. Others signing the letter had been Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota., Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, each of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

“Given the (Trump) Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the information, politicization of the Epstein case extra broadly, and failure to adjust to the Epstein Information Transparency Act, a impartial evaluation of its compliance with the statutory disclosure necessities is crucial,” the senators wrote. Full transparency, they stated, “is crucial in figuring out members of our society who enabled and took part in Epstein’s crimes.”