Washington, DC | January 2, 2026
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is facing mounting scrutiny after missing a legally mandated deadline to release investigative records related to Jeffrey Epstein, as officials confirm that more than 5.2 million documents are now under review.
Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025, the DOJ was required to publicly release all non-exempt investigative materials by December 19, 2025. That deadline has passed without full compliance.
Discovery of Additional Files
On December 24, 2025, the DOJ announced the discovery of more than one million additional documents potentially linked to the Epstein investigation. According to the department, these records were identified during a late-stage internal audit of archived federal materials.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said approximately 400 attorneys are currently reviewing the expanded document set “around the clock.” He acknowledged that the release process is likely to take several additional weeks, citing the scale of the material and the need to review sensitive content.
Backlash From Survivors and Lawmakers
The delay has prompted sharp criticism from Epstein survivors and several members of Congress. Advocacy groups have described the missed deadline as a violation of federal law, while some lawmakers have called the delay a “slap in the face” to victims and have raised the possibility of contempt proceedings against DOJ officials if compliance is not achieved.
Key Findings From Recent Releases
Although many of the documents released so far are heavily redacted, recent tranches have revealed several notable details:
Flight Records: Emails among federal prosecutors reference that Donald Trump, during his earlier private business career, flew on Epstein’s private aircraft multiple times between 1993 and 1996, according to the documents. The records do not allege criminal wrongdoing and provide no indication of illegal conduct.
Potential Co-Conspirators: Internal FBI emails from 2019 refer to 10 possible co-conspirators, though nearly all names remain redacted. Publicly visible names include Ghislaine Maxwell and Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret, who has previously denied wrongdoing.
Inappropriate Correspondence: Emails attributed to a contact associated with Balmoral, the British royal residence, included inappropriate requests sent to Maxwell ahead of a trip to Peru. The identities and context remain under review.
Fabricated Documents: The DOJ has warned that several items in federal custody are known forgeries, including a viral letter falsely attributed to Epstein and addressed to Larry Nassar.
Public Access to Records
Released materials are being published incrementally through the DOJ’s Epstein Library, where the public can access documents as they are cleared. Current releases largely include grand jury materials, investigative notes, and FBI search photographs, with redactions applied where required by law.
The DOJ has stated it remains committed to full compliance with the Transparency Act, though no revised completion date has been formally announced.
