Following the Justice Department's initial partial release of Epstein documents on Dec. 19, a second batch of about 30,000 pages was disclosed Tuesday, including a fake letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry Nassar. Bipartisan Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), co-sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump last month, are pressing for the remaining files, threatening contempt proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The latest disclosure complied partially with the Act but missed a Friday deadline, drawing sharp criticism. In an NPR interview, Khanna called an email referencing 10 co-conspirators a 'bombshell,' noting survivors' accounts implicate others beyond Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. He seeks FBI 302 witness interviews, Epstein's seized emails, a 60-count draft indictment, and an 82-page prosecution memo.
Khanna accused the DOJ of protecting powerful figures like bankers and politicians while inadvertently exposing survivors' names. The viral fake 2019 letter to Nassar, mentioning a 'short route home' and 'our president' liking 'young, nubile girls,' was debunked by Deputy AG Todd Blanche due to mismatched handwriting, a post-Epstein-death postmark, and other anomalies.
Khanna and Massie plan a 30-day grace period before $5,000 daily fines via inherent contempt, or to appoint a special master from the Southern District of New York or form a bipartisan congressional committee for redactions. Trump dismissed scrutiny as a Democrat 'hoax,' with no evidence implicating him.
