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Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna are once again working together to ensure Epstein files releasedthis time by applying pressure Attorney General palm bondi To follow its own laws or face contempt of Congress charges.
Massie and Khanna, who co-sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said Sunday that they were in the process of forming a bipartisan coalition in the House of Representatives to draft an “implicit contempt” motion against Bondi and punish him. Not releasing complete files by December 19 deadline.
“Todd Blanche is the face of it, but the attorney general’s office, Pam Bondi, is really responsible for it,” Massey said. CBS’s Face the Nation“The fastest way to get justice for these victims, and I think the fastest way, is to have implicit contempt against Pam Bondi,”
Implied contempt is a congressional power that allows lawmakers to arrest and detain individuals unless they comply with a congressional subpoena or punish them for obstructing an investigation. This is a self-enforcement power that gives Congress the ability to bypass typical civil or criminal court process.
Bondi’s office continues Hundreds of thousands of pages of redacted documents in the Epstein files on Friday to comply with the law’s deadline. However, this was only a partial release of materials in the Justice Department’s possession, which arguably disregards the language of the law. Trump administration officials aided that they would release more information from the files at a later date.
The DOJ said it could release the files only in batches because they required protection of survivors, the integrity of ongoing litigation, national security, and redaction to remove details of physical or sexual abuse.
But Massey said the department’s decision to release some now and others later was “very troubling.”
Khanna described this as a “slap in the face” to the survivors and claimed that one’s name had been released in error, but information about those who abused her remained with the DOJ.
Lawmakers told CBS that their contempt measure would only need to be passed in the House to take effect and that Bondy would be fined for each day the remaining Epstein files are not released. Khanna told Washington PostThey will likely give the Attorney General a 30-day grace period before imposing the punishment.
It is not clear how much support Massey and Khanna will be able to muster in the House to pass this bill.
Deputy Attorney General Blanch told NBC News meet the Press That he was not taking the lawmakers’ threats seriously and stressed that the DOJ is “doing everything we need to do to comply with this statute.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer Said On Monday morning he will introduce a resolution directing the Senate to initiate legal action against the department for “blatant disregard of the law.”
But Democratic Senator Tim Kaine indicated that any punishment against Bondi would be “premature.”