Judge rejects bid to force DOJ Epstein files release oversight

A federal choose dominated Wednesday that he doesn’t have the authority to nominate an out of doors skilled to make sure the Justice Division complies with a regulation that makes all information associated to Jeffrey Epstein’s prosecution out there to the general public.

The seven-page ruling by U.S. District Decide Paul Engelmayer ends an try by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., to hitch the Ghislaine Maxwell case.

The pair needed to take part as amici curia, or “associates of the courtroom,” in an effort to have the choose appoint a particular grasp to supervise the discharge of information associated to Epstein below the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act (EFTA).

CLINTON TEAM DEMANDS TRUMP DOJ RELEASE OF ‘ANY REMAINING’ DOCUMENTS RELATING TO FORMER PRESIDENT EPSTEIN

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie (left) and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna are pushing for the Justice Division to launch information within the Jeffrey Epstein case. (Reuters)

Khanna and Massie consider that with out oversight, the Justice Ministry will be unable to provide all of the information required by the EFTA, the ruling occasion stated.

Engelmayer stated he can not grant the congressmen’s request as a result of they aren’t events to the case that led to Maxwell’s intercourse trafficking conviction in December 2021, for which she acquired a 20-year jail sentence for recruiting women for the late financier.

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“The one events to the case are Maxwell and america, with the latter, as is at all times the case, represented by DOJ,” the choose wrote. “The indictment in opposition to Maxwell introduced fees below six federal prison statutes. These weren’t coated by the EFTA, which didn’t exist on the time and isn’t a prison regulation. And this case is now successfully closed.”

Fox Information Digital has contacted the DOJ.

“We respect the choose’s considerate consideration of our letter and we stay dedicated to driving the DOJ to comply with our regulation by different avenues out there to us and the survivors,” Massie stated in a press release to Fox Information Digital.

Khanna instructed Fox Information Digital that the pair will proceed their efforts to power the federal government to launch all information associated to Epstein.

“We respect Decide Engelmayer’s well timed response and a focus to our request, and we respect his determination,” he stated. “He stated we’ve got raised ‘professional considerations’ about DOJ’s compliance with the regulation. We’ll proceed to pursue each authorized possibility to make sure the information are launched and survivors see justice.”

MORE THAN 2 MILLION EPSTEIN FILES HAVEN’T BEEN PUBLISHED YET, DOJ CONFIRMS

The Justice Division launched a trove of Epstein paperwork on December 19, following President Trump’s signing of the Epstein Recordsdata Transparency Act in November. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan through Getty Photographs)

Khanna and Massie headed the EVA, which was signed into regulation by President Donald Trump final 12 months. It required the Justice Division to launch all proof collected throughout a long time of investigation into Epstein by December 19.

Nonetheless, weeks after the deadline, a fraction of the information have been launched, prompting criticism from officers on either side of the aisle.

The Justice Division has stated the discharge of the information was delayed by redactions crucial to guard the identities of abuse victims.

Paperwork included within the U.S. Division of Justice’s launch of the Jeffrey Epstein information have been photographed on January 2. (AP Picture/Jon Elswick)

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“We convey to the Court docket’s consideration critical misconduct by the Division of Justice that requires a decision, a decision that we consider this courtroom has the authority to offer, and which the victims themselves have requested,” Khanna stated in a press release to The Related Press a couple of letter U.S. Lawyer Jay Clayton wrote to Engelmayer final week.

“Our aim is to make sure that DOJ complies with its representations to the Court docket and its authorized obligations below our regulation,” he added.

Of their letter, Khanna and Massie wrote that the DOJ’s launch of solely 12,000 paperwork out of greater than 2 million paperwork reviewed was a “flagrant violation” of the regulation’s necessities.

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“Merely put, the DOJ can’t be trusted to make necessary disclosures below the regulation,” they stated.

Engelmayer acknowledged that Khanna and Massie had raised “professional considerations,” however that his arms have been tied.

“The representatives don’t try to specific their views earlier than the Court docket on any present situation,” he wrote. “The appointment of a impartial individual to watch DOJ’s compliance with the EVA is way faraway from any case earlier than the Court docket and is subsequently not a permissible type of amicus participation.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.