A bipartisan group of Senators on Wednesday called for an audit into the Department of Justice’s handling of the files related to the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In a letter to DOJ Acting Inspector General Dan Berthiaume, a group of 12 senators said the DOJ had violated a law -- dubbed the Epstein Files Transparency Act -- that passed Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump in November. The law mandated a full release of the Epstein files with minimal redactions by Dec. 19.
The lawmakers -- led by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. -- said the DOJ has withheld files, released documents already publicly available and redacted certain releases to the extent that “there are serious questions as to whether the Department is properly applying the limited exceptions for redaction that are permitted under the Act.”
“Given the Administration’s historic hostility to releasing the files, politicization of the Epstein case more broadly, and failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a neutral assessment of its compliance with the statutory disclosure requirements is essential,” the group wrote.
Inspectors general are independent watchdogs that conduct audits and investigations of federal agencies. The DOJ inspector general is “ideally placed” to conduct an audit because he has full access to the files, the lawmakers wrote.
