The internal watchdog of the United States Department of Justice has announced an investigation into whether the agency complied with a federal law mandating the release of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Office of Inspector General said on Thursday that its probe would focus on the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November 2025, which required the release of all unclassified records in the department's possession within 30 days, with redactions limited strictly to protecting victims and classified information.
The watchdog said it would examine the processes used to identify, collect, redact, and release the material, and could broaden its scope if circumstances warrant. The Justice Department has released files in intermittent batches since the law was passed, publishing a catalogue of some 3.5 million pages in January — well beyond the act's 30-day deadline. However, roughly 2.7 million files remain publicly accessible after some were taken offline following privacy complaints from survivors, and a senior official has acknowledged that the government holds around six million files in total. Critics, including bipartisan lawmakers, have accused the department of using heavy redactions to shield powerful individuals associated with Epstein, a claim the department has denied.
Epstein, a wealthy financier who died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex-trafficking charges, is accused of running a years-long abuse scheme with victims potentially numbering in the hundreds. He moved in elite social circles that included politicians, academics, and business figures. His associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and remains imprisoned. The case has drawn intense public scrutiny over who may have enabled or protected Epstein, and survivors have continued to demand accountability. One prominent survivor, Annie Farmer, this week condemned reports that some lawmakers were considering endorsing a pardon for Maxwell in exchange for her co-operation with a congressional investigation, calling it "a deep betrayal."
The investigation was sought by two congressmen who championed the transparency law — Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie — who expressed frustration at what they described as incomplete and delayed disclosures. Massie recently warned the newly appointed acting attorney general, Todd Blanche — who replaced Pam Bondi, dismissed in part over her handling of the files — that failure to comply with the law could carry criminal liability. Mark Greenblatt, a former inspector general who was fired by President Donald Trump in January, welcomed the audit but urged that it be carried out "without undue influence," stressing that independent oversight was essential given the involvement of powerful individuals and vulnerable victims.
The announcement adds to mounting pressure on the Trump administration over its handling of the files. A YouGov poll conducted in February found that 53 percent of respondents believed Trump was trying to conceal information about Epstein's crimes. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed calls for full disclosure from within his own party, while ultimately signing the transparency legislation after sustained public pressure. The inspector general's findings, when complete, could have significant legal and political consequences if the department is found to have fallen short of what the law requires.