The Department of Justice continues to violate the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) by overredacting information, withholding documents, and apparently now narrowing its document search while publicly claiming full compliance, Democracy Defenders Fund (DDF) said today.

In its third letter to the DOJ’s Office of Inspector General, DDF raised serious concerns about the DOJ's continued failure to comply with the EFTA and reiterated the need for an independent audit of the department’s compliance with the EFTA.

Despite releasing more than 2 million files on Jan. 30, the DOJ appears to have limited its review to select case files and excluded vast categories of records that Congress explicitly ordered disclosed, potentially including internal DOJ communications, references to third parties, and records relating to evidence destruction, the letter states. Glaringly, the release contains barely a handful of official email communications from DOJ leaders Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and FBI Director Kash Patel, despite their central roles and public statements on Epstein-related matters.

“Congress expressly sought disclosure of a wide range of documents relating to Epstein and Maxwell,” said Virginia Canter, director and chief counsel for ethics and anti-corruption at Democracy Defenders Fund. “The DOJ now claims the law is narrower than it is, has withheld documents it has no authority to withhold, and redacted information that should be public. The law requires disclosure of all records that relate to Epstein and Maxwell. DOJ leadership has yet to fulfill that simple requirement.”

The EFTA required the DOJ to release all Epstein files on Dec. 19, 2025. Despite its claims of full compliance, the DOJ has yet to meet the law’s clear mandate.

Read the letter HERE. 

Read DDF’s What We’ve Learned from the Epstein Files So Far HERE.

#          #          #

Democracy Defenders Fund brings together a nonpartisan team to work with national, state, and local allies across the country to defend in real-time the foundations of our democracy.