On December 19 and 20, Representative Thomas Massie voiced strong disapproval of how the Department of Justice handled the Epstein case documents. He argued that the partial disclosure does not meet legal standards set by legislation he co-sponsored.
Legal Compliance Questioned
Massie pointed out that Attorney General Pam Bondi might face legal consequences for not releasing all records, a concern shared by his co-author, California Democrat Ro Khanna. In a shared video, Massie stated: "Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago."
The law, enacted by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump, required full disclosure of all unclassified Epstein-related materials within 30 days, ending on December 19. Massie emphasized that the current release appears to breach this mandate.
Ongoing Political Tensions
Massie, representing Kentucky's 4th District, has had a fluctuating relationship with Trump, which intensified after Trump's return to office in January. Trump has publicly supported Massie's opponent in the GOP primary, calling for his removal.
Massie recently criticized Trump for comments made after the death of director Rob Reiner, saying on social media: "Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered." He added, "I challenge anyone to defend it."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated on Friday morning that hundreds of thousands more documents are expected to be released in the coming weeks.
