US congressman Ro Khanna has accused the justice department of failing to comply with a new law that requires the full release Epstein files. (Screengrab: X/@RoKhanna)
US congressman Ro Khanna has accused the justice department of failing to comply with a new law that requires the full release of government files linked to Jeffrey Epstein, saying the initial batch of documents is heavily redacted and lacks key material.
In a video statement posted on social media late Friday, Khanna said the release did not meet the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which he co-wrote with Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie.
The DOJ’s document dump of hundreds of thousands of pages failed to comply with the law authored by @RepThomasMassie and me.
One document, 119 pages of Grand Jury testimony, was completely redacted.
I explain what is missing and what the survivors and their lawyers are still… pic.twitter.com/Wg1xFIM2vE
“They released one document from a New York grand jury of 119 pages totally blacked out,” he said. “This despite a New York judge ordering them to release that document, and our law requires them to explain redactions. There’s not a single explanation for why that entire document was redacted.”
Under the law, the justice department is required not only to release unclassified records but also to explain any redactions made.
Story continues below this ad
Missing documents
Khanna also said key documents appeared to be absent from the release, including a draft indictment that he claimed could implicate other powerful individuals.
Pages from a totally redacted New York grand jury file into Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, released by the U.S. Justice Department, is photographed Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
“We have not seen the draft indictment that implicates other rich and powerful men who were on Epstein’s rape island,” he said, alleging that some either witnessed or took part in the abuse of young girls. He described the disclosure as “an incomplete release, with too many redactions”.
Possible action against DOJ officials Khanna said he and Massie were considering a range of options if the justice department does not fully comply with the law.
“Thomas Massie and I are exploring all options,” he said, including holding officials in contempt of Congress, recommending impeachment, or referring cases for prosecution “against those who are obstructing justice”.
Story continues below this ad
Massie later shared Khanna’s video on social media, saying the release by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law” signed by President Donald Trump 30 days ago.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act gave the justice department 30 days to release all unclassified records related to Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein sexually abuse minors.
Pages that show New York grand jury subpoenas being issued into the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell investigation, then pages of redactions that follow, in this document released by the U.S. Justice Department, are photographed, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
Earlier on Friday, Blanche said the department would release “several hundred thousand” documents but acknowledged it would miss the deadline, citing the time needed to redact names to protect victims and innocent individuals. He said more files would be released in the coming weeks.
Khanna said he was disappointed by the rollout and questioned the department’s credibility.
Story continues below this ad
“The justice department has very little credibility,” he said, adding that earlier claims that no further material existed had now been contradicted by the scale of the release.
Share
US congressman Ro Khanna has accused the justice department of failing to comply with a new law that requires the full release Epstein files. (Screengrab: X/@RoKhanna) 
