"We Don’t Trust the DOJ”: Inside the Push for a Special Master Over Epstein Records (1/9/26)

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the bipartisan sponsors of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, have formally asked a federal judge to appoint a special master or independent monitor to oversee the Justice Department’s release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein. Their request comes after the DOJ missed the law’s December 19, 2025 deadline to make the documents public and has released only a small fraction of what it says is a multi-million document trove. In a letter to U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer, Khanna and Massie argue that the DOJ’s slow pace, extensive redactions, and failure to submit legally required reports to Congress undermine compliance with the statute and could further traumatize survivors. They want a neutral third party empowered to assess whether the department is fully complying with the law and identify any improper redactions or other questionable conduct.

The lawmakers have emphasized their lack of confidence in the DOJ’s ability to self-police this process and contend that without court-appointed oversight, full disclosure is unlikely. In their filing, they highlight inconsistencies in the DOJ’s reported figures on released versus remaining documents, and they stress that the department “cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act.” Massie has also threatened contempt proceedings against Attorney General Pam Bondi for ongoing noncompliance. By urging judicial intervention through a special master, Khanna and Massie aim to ensure the transparency envisioned by their law and compel the release of the full set of Epstein-related records despite departmental resistance.



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US congressmen ask judge to appoint official to force release of all Epstein files | Jeffrey Epstein | The Guardian