While discussing the Justice Department’s delayed release of documents related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, CNN panelist Leigh McGowan slammed conservative pundit Scott Jennings and lit up social media platforms this week.
Experts in U.S. cultural and intellectual history, communications studies and journalism have theories about why the moment resonated with so many viewers.
During Monday night’s episode of “Newsnight with Abby Phillip,” guest host John Berman noted that it’s been a month since the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act mandated the release of all DOJ documents related to Epstein’s case — and that, to date, the department has only released a small fraction of them.
“Yeah. What’s the punishment if they don’t?” Jennings chimed in before answering his own question. “There is none.”
“So, here’s the deal. I think they should release it. I think they should follow the law,” Jennings conceded. “But let’s not get our knickers in a twist here. There’s no punishment [for this].”
