DOJ announces that they will release a ‘small’ collection of new files related to Epstein’s death

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has just announced the immediate release of a “very small” collection of files specifically related to the detention and eventual death of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters on Friday that the government had sought an order from the Southern District of New York to release certain specific documents. The release follows authorization from Judge Analisa Torres, who ruled that these materials, which include grand jury documents, fall squarely under the mandate of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

President Donald Trump signed that act into law last November. It requires the DOJ to publicize all unclassified records, investigative materials, and internal memos concerning Epstein and his associates, including Ghislaine Maxwell. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton confirmed in a letter that Judge Torres authorized the disclosure of transcripts and exhibits from the grand jury proceedings in the case against former prison guards Tova Noel and Michael Thomas.

There will be more information to comb through

Noel and Thomas are the guards who admitted to falsifying records to make it look like they were properly monitoring Epstein before he died in August 2019 at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center. Clayton wrote that the department will “promptly release appropriately redacted versions of such materials.”

While this new batch is tiny, it comes on the heels of a truly massive data release that revealed a huge amount of troubling information about Epstein’s circle. On Friday, the DOJ released close to 3.5 million pages that are now officially in the public domain under the Transparency Act. Blanche’s office stated that this production marks the department’s compliance with its obligations, though they initially identified more than 6 million potentially relevant pages.

The disclosures have been chaotic, with reams of material dumped online, often without context and with redaction errors, often exposing victim information while redacting information about abusers. The DOJ has even tried to remove files they uploaded. This comes in the face of Blanche claiming that files were redacted to protect victims while adhering to the law. He also admitted that files detailing abuse, violence, and records were withheld.

In the end, the victims have the same complaint: that the DOJ isn’t actually helping them. Survivor Danielle Bensky didn’t mince words, saying, “We have very little faith in the DOJ at this point.”