5 resultsfor “Epstein files release criticism lawmakers”
release of files related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The announcement by the DoJ's internal watchdog comes amid criticism from lawmakers
Lawmakers, for instance, have accused the Trump administration of using [heavy redactions](/news/2025/12/21/slap-in-the-face-epstein-victims-slam-release-of-heavily-redacted-files) to protect the identities of powerful individuals named in the files. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse also expressed anger
criticism in [recent months](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/17/pam-bondi-epstein-files-house-committee) over the [extent](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/19/epstein-files-release-deadline) it has complied with the law. The justice department failed to comply with the act’s 19 December deadline to release
Epstein was part of an elite global cabal that trafficked girls. Trump’s justice department backtracked on releasing files prior to the EFTA’s passage, however, prompting extensive criticism. A July DoJ [memo](https://www.justice.gov
critics as firebrands. Ocasio-Cortez called the resignations “an important turning point”. She said the “abuse of power should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this