The Justice Department's inspector general is launching a formal audit of how the department handled the legally mandated release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, a move that signals serious concerns about compliance failures that have plagued the rollout since it began.
Deputy Inspector General William M Blier announced the review on Thursday, saying the office will examine the department's processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The audit will scrutinize how the department identified and collected responsive materials, its guidance on what to redact, and how it addressed problems that emerged after documents went public.
The Justice Department missed a December 19 deadline to release the files, only turning them over on January 31. That delay was just the beginning of the troubles. Epstein victims reported that sensitive personal information about them was exposed in the released documents, a breach that violated the law's explicit protections for victim privacy. Meanwhile, lawmakers complained that excessive redactions undermined the transparency the statute was designed to achieve.
The department has defended its handling as compliant with the law, though that claim faces mounting skepticism.
The congressional pressure has intensified even as leadership at Justice has shifted. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenaed then-Attorney General Pam Bondi last month to answer questions about the Epstein investigation and the transparency act compliance. But Trump ousted Bondi from the role in early April, and the department moved quickly to argue the subpoena no longer applies since she no longer holds the office for which she was summoned.
In a letter to committee chair James Comer, Assistant Attorney General Patrick Davis contended that because Bondi can no longer testify in her official capacity, the subpoena is void and requested it be withdrawn. A person familiar with the matter said as of April 8 the committee had not agreed to that withdrawal.
The inspector general's audit adds formal pressure on the department to explain its missteps and could force a reckoning over whether the Epstein Files release was handled with the seriousness victims and lawmakers expected.
Author James Rodriguez: "This audit is overdue, and the department's attempt to dodge congressional testimony by citing Bondi's departure looks like a calculated dodge when questions about the file release deserve real answers."
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