Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) are accusing the Department of Justice of improperly redacting and withholding records from the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files, arguing the omissions violate federal transparency requirements.
The bipartisan pair, who jointly pushed for the release of the records despite early resistance from the White House, say the scope of the redactions appears designed to shield powerful individuals, including wealthy figures, political donors, and foreign officials. Massie has also claimed Epstein maintained ties to U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies, a factor he argues may have contributed to efforts to limit public disclosure.
Massie and Khanna said the Justice Department’s handling of the release does not comply with the law and that they have begun drafting articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Khanna focused some of his strongest criticism on a file tied to a New York grand jury, noting that all 119 pages were fully redacted.
Fortune magazine continues:
The California Democrat and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., led the effort on the legislation, which required that the DOJ put out its entire trove of documents by today.
But he blasted the document dump and singled out one file from a New York grand jury where all 119 pages were blacked out.
Their criticism intensified after multiple media outlets reported that at least 16 Epstein-related files were removed from the DOJ website on Friday without explanation. Among the missing materials was a photograph reportedly showing President Trump with Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Melania Trump, which had been displayed in a drawer in Epstein’s residence.
In a separate X post, Massie agreed with Khanna, saying the DOJ “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law” that President Donald Trump signed last month.
Khanna said later Friday that he and Massie had begun preparing draft articles of impeachment and considering inherent contempt actions against Bondi, although no final decision has been made on whether to proceed.
The records were part of a congressionally mandated release of more than 3,600 pages that began Dec. 19. The tranche included heavily redacted images of Epstein’s properties and photographs involving public figures.
The materials did not contain conclusive evidence of criminal wrongdoing by prominent political leaders, including President Donald Trump or former President Bill Clinton. One particularly unsettling image that drew attention showed Clinton in a swimming pool with Maxwell and another individual whose face was obscured.
Under a recently enacted federal transparency law, the DOJ initially posted more than 1,000 pages of investigative records. However, several files, including the photograph involving Trump, were taken down within hours. The department has not publicly explained why specific materials were removed.
Reaction to the release was mixed. Some pro-Trump commentators on X welcomed the documents as evidence that no new allegations emerged against the president. Others criticized the release as incomplete and raised concerns about a potential cover-up.
At a minimum, Massie and Khanna said the unexplained deletions and extensive redactions merit further congressional scrutiny.
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Corruption throughout the government is disgusting it’s a sad state of affairs.