DOJ says over 2 million Epstein files remain under review for public release
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Jan 06, 2026, 22:49 IST
The Justice Department told a federal court that more than 2 million files related to Jeffrey Epstein remain unreleased as lawyers conduct extensive reviews to protect victim privacy.
TL;DR
The DOJ stated that a large number of Epstein-associated files, more than 2 million of them, are still being assessed under a new transparency law before their release. According to the officials, the prolonged process is mainly due to the thorough redaction aimed at protecting victims.
The U.S. Department of Justice has revealed in a court filing made on Monday night that more than 2 million files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are not going to be available to the public just yet, as the review process is very extensive in order to ensure the privacy of the victims is protected.
The court document further states that to date, only 12,000 documents consisting of approximately 125,000 pages have been disclosed in three releases. The revelation was made as part of the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a piece of legislation passed late last year that requires the widening of access to records associated with Epstein's illegal activities.
The filing was submitted to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. It states that the department is conducting a detailed review and redaction process focused on removing victim identifying information before additional materials are made public.
The Justice Department said more than 400 lawyers across the agency will dedicate all or a substantial portion of their workday in the coming weeks to reviewing the remaining files. Moreover, the documents provided by the court reveal that the FBI has made accessible more than 100 experts trained to handle such sensitive materials associated with the victim’s case.
That summer month in 2019 brought an end inside a jail cell in Manhattan - Jeffrey Epstein, once tangled up with powerful figures across finance and government, stopped breathing. Officials called it self-inflicted, though questions lingered; he had been waiting on court dates tied to moving underage girls for sex acts. Age sixty-six when it happened, his name already stained by scandal long before handcuffs came. Alongside him in wrongdoing stood Ghislaine Maxwell, later locked away for two decades after being held responsible for helping harm young lives through exploitation.
The filing confirms earlier reporting by NBC News that millions of documents were undergoing review prior to release. It also acknowledges concerns raised by victims who said some information disclosed in earlier releases should have been redacted. In response, the department said it is reassessing its procedures and conducting additional electronic quality control searches.
“Prior releases have included tens of thousands of manual redactions of victim identifying information,” the filing said. “Even with these efforts, information that victims believe should have been redacted has been posted.”
To address these issues, the Justice Department said it plans to streamline how it processes redaction requests from victims, deduplicate files across various departments to ensure consistent redaction standards, and create new document categories based on sensitivity. Certain files containing especially sensitive material will be assigned to designated DOJ attorneys for review.
President Trump, who after months of pressure from victims, advocates, and lawmakers signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law, has always denied any involvement in the activities of Epstein. The act aimed to enhance accountability and public awareness of how the monster operated, and whoever facilitated his evil doings.
According to legal experts, the court document reveals the conflict between transparency and confidentiality in sexual abuse cases. Although disclosure has been the advocacy of the proponents, the victim rights groups have been vocal about the need to avoid causing more harm by releasing identifying information.
The Justice Department has not announced a specific date for the release of the remaining documents, but the officials indicated that the prolonged review process is aimed at ensuring that the law is observed and at the same time the victims are considered.
The DOJ stated that a large number of Epstein-associated files, more than 2 million of them, are still being assessed under a new transparency law before their release. According to the officials, the prolonged process is mainly due to the thorough redaction aimed at protecting victims.
The U.S. Department of Justice has revealed in a court filing made on Monday night that more than 2 million files associated with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are not going to be available to the public just yet, as the review process is very extensive in order to ensure the privacy of the victims is protected.
The court document further states that to date, only 12,000 documents consisting of approximately 125,000 pages have been disclosed in three releases. The revelation was made as part of the department's compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a piece of legislation passed late last year that requires the widening of access to records associated with Epstein's illegal activities.
The filing was submitted to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer by U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. It states that the department is conducting a detailed review and redaction process focused on removing victim identifying information before additional materials are made public.
The Justice Department said more than 400 lawyers across the agency will dedicate all or a substantial portion of their workday in the coming weeks to reviewing the remaining files. Moreover, the documents provided by the court reveal that the FBI has made accessible more than 100 experts trained to handle such sensitive materials associated with the victim’s case.
That summer month in 2019 brought an end inside a jail cell in Manhattan - Jeffrey Epstein, once tangled up with powerful figures across finance and government, stopped breathing. Officials called it self-inflicted, though questions lingered; he had been waiting on court dates tied to moving underage girls for sex acts. Age sixty-six when it happened, his name already stained by scandal long before handcuffs came. Alongside him in wrongdoing stood Ghislaine Maxwell, later locked away for two decades after being held responsible for helping harm young lives through exploitation.
The filing confirms earlier reporting by NBC News that millions of documents were undergoing review prior to release. It also acknowledges concerns raised by victims who said some information disclosed in earlier releases should have been redacted. In response, the department said it is reassessing its procedures and conducting additional electronic quality control searches.
“Prior releases have included tens of thousands of manual redactions of victim identifying information,” the filing said. “Even with these efforts, information that victims believe should have been redacted has been posted.”
To address these issues, the Justice Department said it plans to streamline how it processes redaction requests from victims, deduplicate files across various departments to ensure consistent redaction standards, and create new document categories based on sensitivity. Certain files containing especially sensitive material will be assigned to designated DOJ attorneys for review.
President Trump, who after months of pressure from victims, advocates, and lawmakers signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law, has always denied any involvement in the activities of Epstein. The act aimed to enhance accountability and public awareness of how the monster operated, and whoever facilitated his evil doings.
According to legal experts, the court document reveals the conflict between transparency and confidentiality in sexual abuse cases. Although disclosure has been the advocacy of the proponents, the victim rights groups have been vocal about the need to avoid causing more harm by releasing identifying information.
The Justice Department has not announced a specific date for the release of the remaining documents, but the officials indicated that the prolonged review process is aimed at ensuring that the law is observed and at the same time the victims are considered.