Lawmakers Get Access to Full Epstein Files

The U.S. Department of Justice will allow members of Congress to review unredacted files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein starting Monday, according to a letter sent to lawmakers.

The letter, reported by The Associated Press, states that lawmakers will be permitted to view complete versions of more than 3 million files that the Justice Department has released in compliance with a law passed by Congress last year.

Lawmakers must notify the Justice Department at least 24 hours in advance if they wish to access the files. The documents may only be reviewed on computers located at the Department of Justice. Only members of Congress themselves — not their staff — are allowed to view the materials. Lawmakers may take handwritten notes but are prohibited from making digital copies or photographing the files with computers or phones.

The arrangement, first reported by NBC News, indicates that lawmakers remain eager to learn more about Epstein and his crimes, despite the extensive effort the Justice Department has already undertaken to comply with the transparency law. The department has faced criticism for delays in releasing information, failing to fully redact personal details and images of victims, and not making all 6 million documents related to Epstein publicly available.

Lawmakers who played a key role in pushing for greater transparency have described the Justice Department’s decision as a victory.

“When Congress persists, Congress can win,” Representative Ro Khanna said in a social media post. Khanna helped lead efforts to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Khanna has previously referenced several emails between Epstein and individuals whose identities were redacted, which appeared to discuss the sexual abuse of young girls. The release of the files has sparked global scrutiny of powerful men who maintained close relationships with the influential financier. Lawmakers continue to call for further investigation into anyone who may have been aware of Epstein’s abuse or had the opportunity to prevent it.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while being held in a New York jail, after being charged with the sexual abuse and trafficking of multiple underage girls. The case came more than a decade after he secretly reached a non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in Florida over similar allegations. Prosecutors said Epstein paid underage girls cash for massages and then sexually abused them.

Source : https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/justice-department-lawmakers-unredacted-versions-released-epstein-files-129937897