Senate Democrats Seek Legal Action Over Epstein Documents
On Monday, the Senate's Democratic leader called for legal steps against the Justice Department's handling of records related to the late Jeffrey Epstein. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed a resolution to compel compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which mandated disclosure by last Friday.
"Instead of transparency, the Trump administration released a tiny fraction of the files and blacked out massive portions of what little they provided," Schumer, D-N.Y., stated. "This is a blatant cover-up."
Schumer's resolution, lacking Republican backing, is largely symbolic as the Senate is in recess until January 5. It faces significant hurdles but allows Democrats to maintain pressure for disclosure, contrary to Republican hopes to move past the issue.
The Justice Department cited the need to protect victims' identities as the reason for delays, planning a gradual release by year-end. However, it has not provided timelines for new records, frustrating accusers and lawmakers who advocated for the transparency act.
Released documents, including photos, transcripts, and logs, were either previously public or heavily redacted, offering little new insight. Key records like FBI interviews and internal memos were absent, and no mentions of figures like Britain's former Prince Andrew appeared.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the limited release, emphasizing the need to safeguard survivors. He assured that the administration would fulfill legal obligations but stressed caution in handling sensitive information.
Blanche also addressed the removal of files from a public webpage, including a photo of Trump with Epstein, citing victim protection. He denied allegations of hiding information about Trump, calling such claims false.
"We are not redacting information around President Trump, around any other individual involved with Mr. Epstein, and that narrative, which is not based on fact at all, is completely false," Blanche told NBC's "Meet the Press."
He criticized Democrats for their sudden interest in the Epstein files, labeling it a hoax. "The Epstein files existed for years and years and years and you did not hear a peep out of a single Democrat for the past four years and yet ... lo and behold, all of a sudden, out of the blue, Senator Schumer suddenly cares about the Epstein files," Blanche said. "That's the hoax."
