The US Justice Department finds million more potential Epstein files, delays release

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The US Department of Justice announced it needs more time to release all of the case files on Jeffrey Epstein after it found over a million more documents potentially linked to the late sex offender, further delaying a deadline it had already missed.

“We will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks.” The Department of Justice did not specify when more records will arrive.

The announcement came just hours after several US senators, including 11 Democrats and a Republican, called on the Justice Department’s watchdog to investigate the failure to meet the congressionally mandated deadline set for last Friday, emphasising that victims “deserve full disclosure” and a “peace of mind” of an independent audit.

The additional delay further deepened existing concerns, as it came amid growing scrutiny over the Justice Department’s staggered release, the heavy redacted nature of the files, and several documents that went missing without explanation.

The records that have been released include photographs, interview transcripts, call logs, court records and other documents, which were either already public or heavily blacked out, with many files lacking necessary context.

President Donald Trump, who was Epstein’s friend for years before the two fell out, tried for months to keep the documents secret. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing in relation to Epstein, he has argued that there is nothing to see in the files and that the public should focus on other matters.

On 19 November, yielding to political pressure from his Republican colleagues, he signed a bill mandating the release of most Justice Department files on Epstein within 30 days.