A federal judge has mandated that the Justice Department release unredacted records related to Jeffrey Epstein or provide justification for keeping them sealed by July 2. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan issued this order following a preliminary injunction from independent journalist Katie Phang, who alleged that the DOJ did not comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act when she requested documents. The act requires the government to make Epstein-related investigative records public with limited redactions for victim protection.
The Justice Department has made over half of the six million files public, citing legal privilege and duplicates as reasons for withholding the remainder. However, the department has faced criticism regarding the extent of its redactions. Judge Sullivan's order specifically requests less-redacted versions of key records, including emails and a draft federal indictment that were previously withheld.
Among the redacted documents is an email in which Epstein expressed approval of a video he watched. Additionally, the order includes FBI records summarizing interviews with a woman who alleged that Epstein introduced her to former President Donald Trump when she was a minor, claiming he sexually assaulted her. These allegations remain uncorroborated, and Trump has denied them.
The Justice Department must also provide a complete log of all redactions made under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Sullivan dismissed the DOJ's argument that Phang could have sought the records through the Freedom of Information Act, stating that FOIA did not offer an adequate remedy. Phang's legal team argued that previous FOIA requests had been denied, reinforcing their position.
Sullivan has previously been involved in high-profile cases related to Trump and his associates, including overseeing Michael Flynn's criminal case and the January 6 Capitol riot cases.