Following the drawn-out and politically calamitous release of millions of federal documents related to the exploits of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice will undergo an investigation.
Long called for by members of Congress, the DOJ Office of the Inspector General is initiating an audit into whether the department legally complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The DOJ OIG will issue a public report once the audit is complete.
“Our preliminary objective is to evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act,” Deputy Inspector General William Blier said in a statement.
“To accomplish this preliminary objective, the OIG plans to focus on reviewing (1) the DOJ’s identification, collection, and production of responsive material; (2) DOJ guidance and processes for redacting and withholding material consistent with the requirements enumerated in the Act; and (3) DOJ’s processes for addressing post-release publication concerns,” Blier added.
The DOJ and former Attorney General Pam Bondi received a torrent of criticism for their handling of the congressionally mandated release of federal files on the late Epstein and his close associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The department failed to comply with the congressionally mandated release deadline and redacted thousands of documents.
Although the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act forbade redactions of relevant information unless it could potentially jeopardize victim privacy, national security, or prosecution efforts, the DOJ has been accused of violating that edict.
As revealed on social media by investigative journalists, one of the uncovered redactions included information on how Epstein attempted to pay off witnesses of his sex trafficking operations and destroy evidence of his crimes.
Due to both congressional and public backlash, President Donald Trump fired Bondi in early April.
Lawmakers are still pushing, however, for Bondi to submit to a deposition before the House Oversight Committee, threatening to hold her in contempt of Congress if she continues to evade summons.
“We have heard nothing from Pam Bondi or her legal team. She didn’t show up for her scheduled deposition, and half of the Epstein files are still unreleased,” committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., told the press. “We are left with no choice. Contempt charges are coming.”
Though millions of files have been released and many prominent figures connected to Epstein have been questioned by the Oversight committee – including billionaire Les Wexner, former president Bill Clinton, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton – investigative efforts have not resulted in any criminal convictions.
