DOJ misses Epstein files deadline as Congress weighs contempt

Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in Nov. 2025 requiring all Epstein documents to be released by Dec. 19, 2025. The bill passed the House 427-1 and had overwhelming bipartisan support. President Trump signed it into law after initially opposing disclosure for months.

Almost three weeks after the Dec. 19 deadline, the Department of Justice still hasn't released the full trove of documents. The DOJ released some materials on Dec. 19 but acknowledged they were incomplete. Lawmakers say the partial release doesn't satisfy the statutory requirement.

On Dec. 24, after the statutory deadline, the Justice Department said the SDNY and FBI had uncovered more than a million additional documents potentially related to the Epstein case. The DOJ warned it could take a few more weeks to sift through all the materials. Critics say the DOJ should've started this process months earlier when the law was passed.

Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna have threatened to bring inherent contempt proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi. Inherent contempt is a rarely used congressional power that allows Congress to fine or even jail officials who defy lawful orders. If successful, the proceedings could fine Bondi $5,000 every day the Epstein documents aren't released.

On Jan. 8, 2026, Massie and Khanna formally asked a federal judge in the Southern District of 🗽New York to appoint a special master or independent monitor to ensure all materials are released in compliance with the law. In their filing, they stated that the DOJ can't be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act.

Legal experts question whether the DOJ has authority to delay a mandatory disclosure deadline set by Congress. The Epstein Files Transparency Act doesn't include exceptions for large document volumes or review time. The law required release by a specific date with no built-in extensions.

The DOJ hasn't provided a specific timeline for completing the release beyond a few more weeks. Some lawmakers suspect the delay is political, designed to protect individuals named in the documents. The DOJ insists the delay is due to the volume of newly discovered materials and the need to protect ongoing investigations.