Attorney General Pam Bondi is facing mounting backlash after lawmakers accused the Justice Department of slow-walking the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and withholding documents that could expose powerful figures tied to the disgraced sex trafficker.
The controversy centers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a bipartisan law sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) that required the DOJ to release all Epstein-related investigative records by Dec. 19.
That deadline has come and gone, yet millions of pages remain sealed or heavily redacted.
Khanna and Massie are now escalating the fight, moving to bypass Bondi’s Justice Department entirely by appealing directly to the Southern District of New York.
Khanna confirmed the lawmakers are asking a federal court to appoint a special master to oversee the release of the files and prevent further withholding.
Khanna said the issue is no longer about timing.
“We’re less concerned about the delay and more concerned about the documents that are being withheld,” he told NPR.
The lawmakers want access to FBI interview statements from Epstein victims that allegedly name “rich and powerful men” who abused them or helped cover up the crimes.
They are also demanding internal DOJ prosecution memos explaining why so many individuals were never charged.
Khanna said those records are exactly what the public and survivors have been waiting for. He added that the goal is accountability, not political theater.
Bondi has defended the DOJ’s approach, arguing that extensive redactions are necessary to protect Epstein’s victims.
According to reports, the department is reviewing an estimated 5.2 million files and has assigned hundreds of lawyers to the process, which sources say may not be completed until late January, per the Daily Beast.
That explanation has not satisfied critics.
Khanna and Massie are now preparing a contempt of Congress effort against Bondi. Under the plan, she could face daily fines after a 30-day grace period if the files are not fully released.
“Our interest is not to take down Pam Bondi,” Khanna said. “Our interest is to take down the rich and powerful men who abused survivors and covered up these crimes.”
The fallout places Bondi in an increasingly uncomfortable position as pressure builds from both sides of the aisle. The backlash also comes as President Donald Trump continues to face renewed scrutiny over his past association with Epstein, despite repeatedly denying any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s criminal activity.
Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein socially years ago, but has said their relationship ended long before Epstein’s crimes became public. He has rejected any suggestion that he was involved in or aware of Epstein’s abuse.
Epstein was charged by the Southern District of New York in 2019 on sex trafficking counts but died in federal custody before his case went to trial. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Lawmakers argue that Epstein’s death does not absolve others who may have participated in or enabled his crimes. Khanna said the documents being withheld could finally explain how Epstein operated for years with impunity.
The fight now shifts to the courts.
If a special master is appointed, it could force the DOJ to release names and records the department has so far kept under wraps. For Bondi, the pressure is intensifying by the day as lawmakers warn that patience is running out and consequences are coming if the Epstein files remain locked away.
