Congress to receive first batch of Epstein files Friday

The Justice Department (DOJ) is expected to deliver the first batch of Jeffrey Epstein files to Congress on Friday. However, it doesn’t anticipate a complete data dump in the near future.

The House Oversight Committee, led by Chairman James Comer, subpoenaed the Epstein documents last month after months of fighting.

Epstein file release

Both Republicans and Democrats have called for transparency. However, the DOJ stated it will release the files in a piecemeal approach.

Comer said he’ll move quickly to release them publicly. However, he said he wants to review the documents first and be deliberate about their release in order to protect the victims.

The House Oversight Committee said it intends to work with the Justice Department to protect the names of the women who were Epstein’s victims.

The first batch of documents is due by the end of the day Friday. They could include FBI reports of witness interviews and materials seized from Epstein’s properties, including those in New York, the Virgin Islands, Palm Beach and New Mexico. The documents could also include affidavits used to access those properties.

Debate over DOJ’s review

However, some Democrats and Republicans, like Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., want a floor vote to require full disclosure, with only the names of victims and explicit material redacted. Some Democrats have called the DOJ’s plan to review the documents a cover-up.

In a post on X this week, Massie said, “After months of stonewalling, calling Epstein files a hoax … the administration now admits the files exist, and agrees to release some of them. Americans want transparency though, not smoke and mirrors.”