Washington, D.C., January 17, 2026
A major legal development has emerged in the high-profile Jeffrey Epstein trafficking case as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it clear that members of Congress cannot legally intervene in the release of documents related to the case.
In a formal letter, Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated that lawmakers have no authority to request court intervention or demand the appointment of a neutral expert to oversee the public release of Epstein-related files.
DOJ Rejects Lawmakers’ Request
The letter responds to concerns raised by Rep. Ro Khanna (D) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R), who accused the DOJ of releasing the Epstein files at an “extremely slow” pace, claiming it violates legal obligations and retraumatizes victims awaiting transparency.
However, DOJ officials emphasized that the two lawmakers are not parties to the criminal case and therefore have no legal standing to seek extraordinary relief through the courts.
Clayton clarified that Judge Paul A. Engelmayer does not have the authority to appoint a special master or neutral expert to supervise the release process.
12,000 Documents Released So Far
The Justice Department also revealed that approximately 12,000 documents have been released to date, while the total volume of files exceeds 2 million.
Officials said the slow pace is necessary to protect victim identities, redact sensitive personal information, and comply with legal privacy obligations.
The DOJ added that it expects to submit a progress report to the court soon, outlining the next steps in the document release process.
Background: Epstein and Maxwell Cases
Jeffrey Epstein, accused of operating a global trafficking ring involving minors, died in a New York jail in 2019, in what was ruled a suicide.
His longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted in 2021 for assisting Epstein in trafficking and abusing minors and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The push for the release of Epstein files has intensified in recent years, fueled by public demands for transparency regarding the powerful individuals allegedly linked to the case.
