Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sharply criticized the Trump administration’s handling of Jeffrey Epstein file releases in late December 2025, accusing the Department of Justice (DOJ) under Attorney General Pam Bondi of a deliberate cover-up through heavy redactions and delays.
In a December 19 joint statement with Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, Raskin declared: “Donald Trump and the Department of Justice are now violating federal law as they continue covering up the facts and the evidence about Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long, billion-dollar, international sex trafficking ring.” They emphasized examining “all legal options” after the DOJ missed the full-release deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act (signed by Trump in November 2025).
On December 21, Raskin appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union,” slamming extensive blacked-out pages: “How can you block out an entire document? It makes no sense,” suggesting redactions protected Trump and allies. Earlier (November 2025), he called the DOJ’s termination of a co-conspirators probe a “shameful and gigantic cover-up.”
No records confirm a dramatic December courtroom or hearing scene with Raskin physically slamming redacted documents—his criticisms came via statements, letters, and media interviews. Bipartisan frustration (including from Republicans like Rep. Thomas Massie) arose over redactions, but Democrats led accusations of shielding powerful figures. Releases continued into 2026 amid ongoing scrutiny, with no new charges against associates as of January 2026.
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