Substantial Progress, No Timeline”: DOJ Explains Epstein Files Delay to Federal Judges (1/29/26)

In a recent joint update to Judge Paul A. Engelmayer and Judge Richard M. Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, top Department of Justice officials — including Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton — acknowledged the massive scope and challenges involved in releasing millions of pages of investigative materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell cases under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. In a letter filed with both judges, the DOJ said it has reviewed “millions of pages” of files including documents, audio, and video recordings, and made “substantial progress” in identifying and redacting materials to protect victim identities. However, the department stressed that it cannot provide a specific completion date for when the entire review and release process will be finished, citing continued quality-control checks, document management preparation, and redaction efforts as necessary steps to comply with the law while safeguarding sensitive information.

The update came amid political and legal pressure after the statutory deadline of Dec. 19, 2025 passed with only a small fraction of the files publicly released. While the DOJ insists it is working toward releasing the materials “in the near term,” lawmakers, victims’ advocates, and the public have sharply criticized the slow pace and heavy redactions, arguing the department is failing to meet both the letter and spirit of the transparency law. Separate court actions around the same time saw Judges Engelmayer and Berman grant motions to unseal certain grand jury and investigative records in the Maxwell and Epstein matters — interpreting the new law as overriding traditional secrecy protections — but the broader document release effort remains ongoing.



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source:

DOJ says it will finish releasing Epstein files "in the near term," but doesn't offer specific date - CBS News

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