The U.S. Department of Justice has disclosed that it still needs to review 5.2 million pages of documents concerning Jeffrey Epstein. To manage this substantial workload, 400 attorneys from four separate divisions will be involved, working through late January. Consequently, the release of these documents will be postponed beyond the December 19 deadline established by Congress.
These files are tied to criminal investigations related to Epstein, the deceased financier and convicted sex offender, known for his connections with former President Donald Trump in the 1990s. The review will engage attorneys from the Criminal Division, National Security Division, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office based in Manhattan.
The review phase is planned from January 5 to 23. Lawyers who are part of this initiative are anticipated to contribute three to five hours daily, examining around 1,000 documents each day. To facilitate their involvement, the department is providing telework options alongside potential time off incentives.
Recently, the Justice Department announced the discovery of over one million supplementary documents that could be linked to Epstein, augmenting the amount of material that requires thorough inspection and redaction for the protection of victims.
While a law mandating the release of all Epstein-related documents was passed by Congress, ongoing setbacks and extensive redactions have led to widespread frustration and controversy. This law was established with bipartisan backing to foster transparency, with the original document release target set for December 19.
Epstein was convicted in 2008 for procuring a minor into prostitution and was facing sex trafficking allegations prior to his death in 2019, which was concluded as a suicide. President Trump has asserted that his relationship with Epstein ended in the mid-2000s and that he was unaware of Epstein's illicit behaviors.
The Justice Department is diligently working to finalize the review process and release the files at the earliest feasible time, yet the extensive volume will prolong the timeline by several weeks.
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