More than two weeks after the December 19 deadline to release records tied to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice (DOJ) says it is still working through a vast backlog of unreleased material.
The DOJ acknowledges that millions of documents remain under review.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer of the Southern District of New York, the department disclosed that:
“There are more than 2 million documents potentially responsive to the Act that are in various phases of review.”
The Justice Department outlined what it described as a multi-stage process, identifying records, uploading materials to review systems, manually screening documents for victim-related information, applying redactions, conducting “global and SDNY-specific” quality checks, publishing responsive records, and addressing inquiries from victims and the public.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump in November, requires the DOJ:
“to publish (in a searchable and downloadable format) all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials in DOJ’s possession that relate to the investigation and prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein.”
To date, the DOJ has released roughly 12,285 documents totaling around 125,575 pages.
However, this represents less than 1% of all records potentially tied to the case, according to Axios.
Despite the massive trove of unreleased material, the department said it believes:
“A meaningful portion” of the documents are duplicates.
The letter stated that the remaining records vary widely in form and sensitivity.
It goes on to argue that revised review procedures are necessary to balance privacy protections with timely disclosure.
The letter states:
“The Department’s identification and collection efforts span documents that remain to be reviewed vary widely.
“As a result, and in light of its experience to date in order to facilitate the prompt release of materials under the Act while continuing to protect victim privacy to the maximum extent practicable, it is appropriate for the Department to modify its procedures for their review based on various factors including, without limitation, document type and likelihood that the document contains victim identifying information or privileged information.”
To accelerate the process, DOJ officials say they are eliminating duplicate materials, prioritizing responsive records, and categorizing documents by sensitivity.
The DOJ is also assigning senior SDNY attorneys to oversee reviews involving victim-identifying information.
The department also said a large mobilization effort is underway:
“Currently, and anticipated for the next few weeks ahead, in the range of over 400 lawyers across the Department will dedicate all or a substantial portion of their workday to the Department’s efforts to comply with the Act.”
That includes:
“Over 125 lawyers in the Southern District of New York, as well as dozens of lawyers from each of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida, the Criminal Division of the Department, and the National Security Division of the Department.”
The DOJ did not provide a revised timeline for completion, nor did it estimate when the full review would conclude.
It leaves the vast majority of Epstein-related records still unreleased.
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