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Partial release of government files But Jeffrey Epstein The alleged abuse of a late convicted sex offender has sparked a firestorm between survivors and members of Congress.
Sharleen Rochard, one of the survivors, called heavily modified document dump “unacceptable.”
“I’m very upset with the justice system because it has completely blackened out entire pages,” Rochard said on NBC News. here’s the scoop monday. “I don’t know about you, but my name is not on the entire page. We only asked that our names be redacted.”
The Justice Department had until last Friday to release all files — with a few exceptions, such as identifying factors of alleged victims — but that day, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch said It will take “a few weeks” To submit all the documents.
The documents that were released were filled with amendments, including a 100-page file that was completely blacked out. Survivors complained not only about what was editedBut what was not there?
“The public received a fraction of the files, and what we received was filled with unusual and excessive redactions without any explanation,” nearly two dozen Epstein survivors wrote in a statement. Issued monday. “At the same time, the identities of many victims were left undisturbed, causing real and immediate harm.”
In a CNN interview on Monday, Epstein survivor Jess Michaels accused The Justice Department has been accused of being “lax and inconsistent and thoughtless” in its release of the Epstein files.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are already considering their legal options after the Trump administration failed to release the entire Epstein files by a deadline.
That deadline was set by a bill from Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Y.) and Ro Khanna (D.C.A.) called the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which the President signed into law. Donald Trump signed last month,
massey and khanna are drafting a resolution to find the attorney general palm bondiWho is the head of the Justice Department, in implicit contempt.
Khanna said in an appearance on CBS News. face the nation The resolution with Macy’s on Sunday calls for Bondi to be fined “for each day that it is not releasing these documents.”
“The quickest way to get justice for these victims, and I think the quickest way, is to have implicit contempt against Pam Bondy,” Massey said.
Independent The Justice Department has been contacted for comment.
Representative Robert Garcia (D.C.A.), Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, told On MediaTouch Monday, he is working directly with Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a constitutional lawyer and ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee.
Garcia said, “We have a legal plan that we are moving forward on right now. Ro Khanna and Tom Massey are also moving forward with plans within Congress, looking at possible ways to hold Pam Bondi in contempt or even beyond that.”
He continued: “And then we have a group of incredibly smart lawyers and advocates around the country right now, including people who work with survivors, who are also looking at what our legal options are in the courts. So all hands are ready right now. All options are on the table.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced a resolution directing the Senate to “initiate legal action” against the Trump administration for its handling of the Epstein files.
“The American people deserve full transparency, and Senate Democrats will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that,” Schumer said. wrote X on Monday.
Responding to the latest trove of Epstein files released, which It included photos of former Democratic President Bill ClintonTrump told reporters Monday, “I always got along with Bill Clinton…I don’t like looking at pictures of him.”
“You’re probably going to have pictures coming out of other people who innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago, and they’re highly respected bankers and lawyers and so on. And they’re going to end up because of people like Macy, who live really low lives…” Trump continued.
Macy’s wrote In response to “Meanwhile Bondi is working feverishly to redact, declassify, and delete the Epstein files, which she is legally required to release under our bill.”
Representative Garcia has accused the Trump administration of a “cover-up”. But White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told earlier Independent“The Trump administration is the most transparent in history.
“By releasing thousands of pages of documents, cooperating with the House Oversight Committee’s subpoena request, and President Trump recently calling for further investigation of Epstein’s Democrat friends, the Trump administration has done far more for the victims than the Democrats have.”
Trump said Monday he thinks the controversy over his administration’s handling of the Epstein files is “over” and that the Justice Department has released 100,000 pages of documents related to the disgraced financier.
NBC News chief Capitol Hill correspondent Ryan Nobles wrote On