The U.S. Justice Department has defended its decision to withhold a substantial portion of investigative materials related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid a legal challenge demanding greater transparency. In a court filing submitted on July 2, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued that releasing additional documents could jeopardize the privacy of Epstein’s victims and pose risks to government interests.

Since 2019, federal authorities have released approximately 3.5 million pages of documents tied to the Epstein case, though much of this material was heavily redacted. An additional 2.5 million pages remain unreleased. The department’s limited disclosure has faced criticism and sparked lawsuits from advocates and journalists who contend that the Justice Department is protecting influential individuals named in the files.

Blanche’s filing represents the government’s response to a judicial order by U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, who instructed the Justice Department either to provide more expansive access to the documents—including unredacted names of potential co-conspirators and FBI interview notes—or to justify why it has refrained from doing so. The judge’s order came in connection with a lawsuit filed in April by Katie Phang, a lawyer and independent journalist formerly associated with MSNBC, challenging the completeness of the Justice Department’s releases.

In his filing, Blanche reiterated the department’s willingness to share additional materials “in camera,” allowing a judge to review the information privately rather than public disclosure. He contended that this approach preserves necessary protections while addressing the demands for further transparency.

Phang’s lawsuit claims that the Justice Department has violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a federal statute enacted in November 2024 which mandates the release of unclassified files connected to Epstein, subject to limited exemptions. Among the specific allegations, Phang contends that the department unlawfully redacted the identities of individuals involved in email exchanges referencing a “torture video” and sexual exploitation of minors. She also alleges that the DOJ withheld names of possible co-defendants from draft indictments and concealed FBI interview notes mentioning former President Donald Trump.

Judge Sullivan’s June 25 ruling suggested that Blanche and the department may have violated the transparency law by failing to substantively address these concerns. The judge criticized the department’s procedural arguments and urged further explanation or compliance regarding the release of the contested documents.

The Justice Department has maintained that some materials are withheld to protect victim privacy, an exception allowed under the transparency statute. However, the department has also acknowledged withholding records to safeguard internal deliberations—grounds not explicitly authorized by the law.

Epstein’s criminal history dates back over a decade, beginning with a controversial 2008 Florida plea deal that allowed him to avoid significant federal prosecution despite allegations of sex trafficking minors. He served approximately 13 months in jail with work-release privileges. Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges but died by suicide while awaiting trial. His former associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and is serving a 20-year prison sentence. To date, no other associates have faced federal charges connected to Epstein’s activities.

In 2025, the Justice Department and FBI released a memo indicating Epstein harmed over one thousand victims but stated that their review found no evidence warranting investigations into uncharged third parties. The ongoing lawsuits and government filings underscore continuing tensions over how much information should be publicly disclosed from the extensive investigative records tied to the case.