NEWNow you can hearken to Fox Information articles!
The Division of Justice’s efforts to launch all of its recordsdata associated to Jeffrey Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s intercourse trafficking instances by the authorized deadline fell in need of expectations on Friday, leading to complaints starting from technological glitches to extreme redactions and lacking paperwork.
Simply after 3 p.m., the extremely anticipated web site containing the paperwork went reside with a message informing guests they had been “in line.” The web page by no means superior and would sometimes crash. As soon as the recordsdata grew to become seen, some folks had been reporting that they nonetheless couldn’t entry the web site.
“Received me ready in line for these Epstein recordsdata prefer it’s a 2019 Yeezy drop,” one consumer wrote on X.
The legislation required that the recordsdata be searchable, however New York College legislation professor Ryan Goodman was amongst those that noticed that the search bar function on the web site was additionally not reliably capturing content material. Some on the left identified that President Donald Trump’s title was initially not exhibiting up in any of the paperwork. Trump was one among lots of Epstein’s prosperous mates earlier than Epstein confronted prices. The search bar gave the impression to be working as of Friday night time.
SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE
The Division of Justice launched a trove of Epstein paperwork on Dec. 19 following President Donald Trump’s signature on the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act in November. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Photographs)
The commonest criticism, nevertheless, centered on what critics described as an incomplete launch and intensive redactions. The DOJ has mentioned it was required to redact info that might establish victims or minors.
In a letter to Congress, Deputy Lawyer Common Todd Blanche touted the DOJ’s effort to satisfy its obligations below the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act as “historic.”
Blanche mentioned the paperwork underwent a rigorous evaluate and redaction course of involving greater than 200 attorneys and that sure DOJ elements produced tranches of recordsdata this week that required extra time to evaluate. He mentioned he anticipated the remainder of the recordsdata to be uploaded to the web site inside two weeks.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., throughout a information convention on the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act outdoors the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Heather Diehl/Getty Photographs)
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., highlighted the statutory language of the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act on X.
“Sadly, right this moment’s doc launch by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to adjust to each the spirit of the letter of the legislation that @realDonaldTrump signed simply 30 days in the past,” Massie wrote.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a co-sponsor of the laws, mentioned he and Massie had been “exploring all choices,” together with potential contempt proceedings or different actions towards DOJ officers.
“It’s an incomplete launch with too many redactions,” Khanna mentioned.
DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE
Lawyer Common Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on latest Supreme Courtroom rulings within the briefing room on the White Home on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Joe Raedle/Getty Photographs)
Tim Younger, a media fellow with the conservative Heritage Basis, panned the redactions in a submit on X and took a jab at Lawyer Common Pam Bondi over the DOJ’s botched rollout of already-public recordsdata earlier this 12 months. Bondi had given right-wing social media influencers binders of recordsdata in February, however the information had been a dud and enraged a faction of Trump’s base.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., appeared on MSNOW on Friday night and accused the administration of “breaking the legislation.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Nonetheless, the DOJ has stood by its work as exemplary, saying in a press release on-line that “President Trump’s DOJ is delivering historic transparency whereas defending victims.”
Fox Information Digital reached out to the DOJ for remark.
