WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: From left to right, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, on Tuesday, November 18, ...WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: From left to right, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga, and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, with victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as the House prepares to vote to release records related to him. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)MORE LESS
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the Justice Department will only release some of the Epstein files Friday, a move members of Congress slammed as a violation of the law President Trump signed last month.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
House Oversight Ranking Members Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) did similar saber rattling Friday, saying in a statement: “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
“Any Justice Department official who does not comply with this law will be subject to prosecution for obstruction of justice,” Khanna said in a speech on the House floor this week. “If Pam Bondi does not comply with the law, she will be held either in inherent contempt of Congress or subject to impeachment.”
House Oversight Ranking Members Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) did similar saber rattling Friday, saying in a statement: “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
In an uncaptioned tweet, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who led the effort to release the files with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), highlighted the part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (signed Nov. 19) that mandates the release of the files “not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this act.”
“Any Justice Department official who does not comply with this law will be subject to prosecution for obstruction of justice,” Khanna said in a speech on the House floor this week. “If Pam Bondi does not comply with the law, she will be held either in inherent contempt of Congress or subject to impeachment.”
House Oversight Ranking Members Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) did similar saber rattling Friday, saying in a statement: “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
“I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today, and those documents will come in all different forms — photographs and other materials associated with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein,” Blanche said on Fox News, adding that “over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”
In an uncaptioned tweet, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who led the effort to release the files with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), highlighted the part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (signed Nov. 19) that mandates the release of the files “not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this act.”
“Any Justice Department official who does not comply with this law will be subject to prosecution for obstruction of justice,” Khanna said in a speech on the House floor this week. “If Pam Bondi does not comply with the law, she will be held either in inherent contempt of Congress or subject to impeachment.”
House Oversight Ranking Members Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) did similar saber rattling Friday, saying in a statement: “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
“I expect that we’re going to release several hundred thousand documents today, and those documents will come in all different forms — photographs and other materials associated with all of the investigations into, into Mr. Epstein,” Blanche said on Fox News, adding that “over the next couple of weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”
In an uncaptioned tweet, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who led the effort to release the files with Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), highlighted the part of the Epstein Files Transparency Act (signed Nov. 19) that mandates the release of the files “not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this act.”
“Any Justice Department official who does not comply with this law will be subject to prosecution for obstruction of justice,” Khanna said in a speech on the House floor this week. “If Pam Bondi does not comply with the law, she will be held either in inherent contempt of Congress or subject to impeachment.”
House Oversight Ranking Members Robert Garcia (D-CA) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD) did similar saber rattling Friday, saying in a statement: “We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law.”
“My goodness, what is in the Epstein files?” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) tweeted. “Release all the files. It’s literally the law.”
The risk that the Trump administration would manipulate its begrudging release of the files was already high; it’s already presented public information as new material, promised to release the files under its own volition before backtracking and, in the case of Attorney General Pam Bondi, said that an Epstein “client list” doesn’t exist after claiming that it was on her desk.
Trump has also repeatedly weaponized the files in an attempt to hurt prominent Democrats. Frontloading their release, which is highly anticipated by both news reporters and the public, with documents that damage his enemies would fit into this strategy.
Blanche is signalling that the administration intends to wage a war of attrition, dumping thousands of documents at once to make it difficult to ascertain context and identify any missing pieces. It raises the prospect of news outlets and online personalities racing one another to post new details, putting an impetus on speed over thoroughness.
The files are coming from an untrustworthy source, and will inevitably spark a feeding frenzy. The Trump administration using its discretion — and breaking the law — to split the files into multiple tranches only increases the odds that the documents will be strategically deployed.
