DOJ says it could want a ‘few extra weeks’ to complete releasing Epstein recordsdata : NPR

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AP/U.S. Division of Justice WASHINGTON — The Justice Division mentioned Wednesday that it could want a "few extra weeks" to launch all of its data on the late intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein after all of a sudden discovering greater than 1,000,000 probably related paperwork, additional delaying compliance with final Friday's congressionally mandated deadline.

The Christmas Eve announcement got here hours after a dozen U.S. senators referred to as on the Justice Division's watchdog to look at its failure to satisfy the deadline. The group, 11 Democrats and a Republican, advised Appearing Inspector Common Don Berthiaume in a letter that victims "deserve full disclosure" and the "peace of thoughts" of an unbiased audit.

The Justice Division mentioned in a social media publish that federal prosecutors in Manhattan and the FBI "have uncovered over 1,000,000 extra paperwork" that may very well be associated to the Epstein case — a surprising eleventh hour improvement after division officers recommended months in the past that they'd undertaken a complete evaluate that accounted for the huge universe of Epstein-related supplies.

In March, Legal professional Common Pam Bondi advised Fox Information {that a} "truckload of proof" had been produced after she ordered the FBI to "ship the complete and full Epstein recordsdata to my workplace." She issued the directive after saying she discovered from an unidentified supply that the FBI in New York was "in possession of 1000's of pages of paperwork."

In July, the FBI and Justice Division indicated in an unsigned memo that they'd undertaken an "exhaustive evaluate" and had decided that no extra proof must be launched — a rare about face from the Trump administration, which for months had pledged most transparency. The memo didn't increase the chance that extra proof existed that officers have been unaware of or had not reviewed.

Wednesday's publish didn't say when the Justice Division was knowledgeable of the newly uncovered recordsdata.

In a letter final week, Deputy Legal professional Common Todd Blanche mentioned Manhattan federal prosecutors already had greater than 3.6 million data from intercourse trafficking investigations into Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, although many have been copies of fabric already turned over by the FBI.

The Justice Division mentioned its attorneys are "working across the clock" to evaluate the paperwork and take away victims names and different figuring out data as required by the Epstein Information Transparency Act, the regulation enacted final month that requires the federal government to open its recordsdata on Epstein and Maxwell.

"We'll launch the paperwork as quickly as potential," the division mentioned. "Because of the mass quantity of fabric, this course of could take a couple of extra weeks."

The announcement got here amid growing scrutiny on the Justice Division's staggered launch of Epstein-related data, together with from Epstein victims and members of Congress.

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, one of many chief authors of the regulation mandating the doc launch, posted Wednesday on X: "DOJ did break the regulation by making unlawful redactions and by lacking the deadline." One other architect of the regulation, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., mentioned he and Massie will "proceed to maintain the strain on" and famous that the Justice Division was releasing extra paperwork after lawmakers threatened contempt.

"A Christmas Eve information dump of '1,000,000 extra recordsdata' solely proves what we already know: Trump is engaged in an enormous coverup," Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., mentioned after the DOJ's announcement. "The query People deserve answered is easy: WHAT are they hiding — and WHY?"

The White Home on Wednesday defended the Justice Division's dealing with of the Epstein data.

"President Trump has assembled the best cupboard in American historical past, which incorporates Legal professional Common Bondi and her staff — like Deputy Legal professional Common Blanche — who're doing an important job implementing the President's agenda," spokeswoman Abigail Jackson mentioned in a press release.

After releasing an preliminary wave of data on Friday, the Justice Division posted extra batches to its web site over the weekend and on Tuesday. The Justice Division has not given any discover when extra data may arrive.

Information which have been launched, together with images, interview transcripts, name logs, court docket data and different paperwork, have been both already public or closely blacked out, and plenty of lacked needed context. Information that hadn't been seen earlier than embrace transcripts of grand jury testimony from FBI brokers who described interviews they'd with a number of women and younger girls who described being paid to carry out intercourse acts for Epstein.

Different data made public in current days embrace a word from a federal prosecutor from January 2020 that mentioned Trump had flown on the financier's non-public airplane extra usually than had been beforehand identified and emails between Maxwell and somebody who indicators off with the preliminary "A." They comprise different references that counsel the author was Britain's former Prince Andrew. In a single, "A" writes: "How's LA? Have you ever discovered me some new inappropriate mates?"

The senators' name Wednesday for an inspector basic audit comes days after Schumer launched a decision that, if handed, would direct the Senate to file or be part of lawsuits aimed toward forcing the Justice Division to adjust to the disclosure and deadline necessities. In a press release, he referred to as the staggered, closely redacted launch "a blatant cover-up."

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., in main the decision for an inspector basic audit. Others signing the letter have been Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota., Adam Schiff of California, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, each of New Jersey, Gary Peters of Michigan, Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland, Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii, and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

"Given the (Trump) Administration's historic hostility to releasing the recordsdata, politicization of the Epstein case extra broadly, and failure to adjust to the Epstein Information Transparency Act, a impartial evaluation of its compliance with the statutory disclosure necessities is important," the senators wrote. Full transparency, they mentioned, "is important in figuring out members of our society who enabled and took part in Epstein's crimes."