U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has ordered the Justice Department to release more information from the recently unsealed Jeffrey Epstein files or provide a detailed explanation for why the documents cannot be made public.
The order, issued Thursday, gives the DOJ until July 2 to turn over less-redacted versions of certain documents. The judge also mandated that the department publish a log detailing all redactions.
Judge Sullivan noted that the Epstein Files Transparency Act, signed into law in November, required the production of covered documents and a redaction log by December 19, 2025. According to the order, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche "conceded that he is in violation of the Act."
Independent journalist Katie Phang sued the administration in late April, alleging that it had failed to produce required documents within the stipulated timeframe, improperly redacted information, and not adequately explained those redactions. Phang also charged that some documents were either retracted or not produced at all.
Blanche has previously stated that the Justice Department possesses no new material related to the Epstein case. He argued that any documents the department holds are either duplicates of previously released files or contain explicit content involving victims.
Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found deceased in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death fueled ongoing speculation about his connections to prominent figures, including former President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, and Prince Andrew.