In a rare display of cross-party unity, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are raging against Attorney General Pam Bondi following the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) partial and heavily redacted release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files on December 19, 2025. The move has sparked threats of impeachment, contempt proceedings, and even criminal referrals, as critics accuse the Trump administration of flouting the Epstein Files Transparency Act—a law signed by President Trump himself just a month earlier.
The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed nearly unanimously by Congress in November 2025 and signed into law on November 19, mandated the full public disclosure of all unclassified DOJ records related to Epstein’s investigations, prosecutions, and associations by December 19. Co-sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), the bipartisan legislation aimed to deliver long-sought transparency for Epstein’s victims and the public, exposing potential complicity among the powerful elite.
Yet, when the deadline arrived, the DOJ uploaded thousands of pages—including photos, flight logs, and investigative notes—but withheld hundreds of thousands more, citing victim privacy, ongoing probes, and privileges. Heavy redactions obscured key details, and no explanatory report accompanied the release as required. Even more controversially, at least 16 files, including File 468—a photo showing President Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell—vanished from the DOJ’s online portal by Saturday without notice.
Khanna and Massie, the bill’s architects, wasted no time. In interviews and statements, they announced they are actively drafting articles of impeachment against Bondi, alongside options for inherent contempt of Congress or obstruction-of-justice referrals. “This is an incomplete release with too many redactions,” Khanna told CNN. “The most important documents are missing,” including a suppressed 2007 draft indictment and internal memos on Epstein’s lenient 2008 plea deal. Massie echoed the sentiment on X, declaring the release “grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law,” and warning that a future DOJ could prosecute Bondi.
The outrage transcended party lines. Democrats like Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) decried the redactions as a “cover-up” protecting “rapists and pedophiles with money and power.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to probe what was “being covered up by Pam Bondi.” Even Republicans joined in: former Rep. Justin Amash called for Bondi’s impeachment, while Massie’s involvement underscored MAGA frustration with perceived protection of elites.
The White House and DOJ defended the release, with Deputy AG Todd Blanche insisting redactions protected over 1,200 identified victims and that the administration has been “the most transparent in history.” Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson accused Democrats of hypocrisy, noting prior administrations withheld far more.
Victims’ advocates, including lawyers like Brad Edwards, slammed the partial dump as a “slap in the face,” arguing it delayed justice. Newly revealed files confirmed a 1996 FBI complaint against Epstein went ignored, allowing his crimes to continue unchecked.
As additional tranches trickle out, the bipartisan coalition vows escalation. With impeachment articles in draft and subpoenas looming, Bondi’s fate—and the full truth about Epstein’s network—hangs in the balance. For survivors demanding accountability, this incomplete disclosure only deepens the betrayal.
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