Justice Department Inspector General Probes Epstein Files Transparency Compliance

The Justice Department’s internal watchdog has launched an audit to evaluate the agency’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law mandating the release of records related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. The Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday that it will review the department’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records, as well as how it handled post-release publication concerns.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law by President Trump in November, required the Justice Department to release all relevant files within 30 days. While an initial batch of files was published within that timeframe, it did not cover the full scope of material. Days later, the department released over 11,000 files totaling nearly 30,000 pages, including photos, court records, emails, news clippings, and videos. On January 30, then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the release of more than 3 million pages related to investigations into Epstein and Maxwell, describing it as the final disclosure.

Blanche stated that the department collected over 6 million pages in response to the law but withheld some due to concerns over survivors’ personal information and active investigations. “I can assure that we complied with the statute, we complied with the act and we did not protect President Trump. We didn’t protect or not protect anybody,” Blanche said at the news conference. He has since become acting attorney general and told Fox News that the Epstein files “should not be a part of anything going forward” at the Justice Department.

A CBS News analysis found that the department removed tens of thousands of files after their initial publication, reducing the number of public documents to approximately 2.7 million pages. By late February, more than 47,000 files comprising about 65,500 pages had been taken down, with links to those files returning “page not found” errors.

The rolling release and repeated removal of documents prompted calls from survivors and members of Congress for an independent review. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, who led efforts to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have advocated for such a review. In December 2025, Epstein survivors and a group of Democratic lawmakers requested the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate whether any records were tampered with.

Deputy Inspector General William M. Blier, performing the duties of the inspector general, said the probe will focus on the department’s identification, collection, and production of responsive materials, as well as guidance on redactions. The review will also examine how the department addressed concerns after the documents were published. A public report will be issued upon completion, though no timeline has been provided.

The Justice Department has faced criticism for its handling of the Epstein case, which resulted in only one conviction—Maxwell’s—despite widespread allegations and survivor advocacy. Epstein died by suicide in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Some victims’ personal information was inadvertently made public in the released files, leading to lawsuits against the Trump administration and Google. Blanche called the exposure of identifying details “horrible” and “inexcusable.”

Blanche has said the case remains open and encouraged victims to come forward with information that could support additional charges. Since the files’ release, at least nine investigations related to Epstein have been initiated in eight different countries.

President Trump recently nominated Don Berthiaume, a career government attorney who has served as the department’s acting watchdog since late last year, to be the Justice Department’s next inspector general.