politics
GAO Investigates DOJ Compliance with Epstein Files Law
The Government Accountability Office has agreed to investigate the Department of Justice's management of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. The move follows a bipartisan request from senators and comes amid a lawsuit alleging violations of a transparency law. Separate audits and document releases have marked recent developments in the case.
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The Government Accountability Office agreed on Tuesday to open an investigation into the Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) announced the development, which stems from a bipartisan letter he signed over a month earlier requesting the probe.
The independent legislative agency will examine the department's compliance with federal law in managing the documents. Merkley, along with other senators, requested the Government Accountability Office investigation in March.
The senators sought to ensure the Justice Department adhered to requirements for releasing files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The probe will coordinate with an ongoing audit by the Department of Justice’s office of the inspector general to avoid duplicative work.
That internal watchdog announced last week it would launch an audit into the department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act. The inspector general’s office is leading the effort to determine how the department identified, redacted, and released the Epstein files in recent months.
The audits come amid sharp criticism of the Justice Department's actions, including heavy redactions in the released documents. Critics have pointed to redactions of names of powerful figures and disclosures of victims' personal information.
A lawsuit was filed in the US district court for the District of Columbia on Monday. The suit alleges the Justice Department broke the transparency law by withholding records on Epstein and over-redacting disclosures. It accuses the acting attorney general of missing statutory deadlines, improper redactions, failure to explain them, and withholding key documents.
The action seeks to hold the acting attorney general personally responsible for the alleged failure to publish all documents. The lawsuit demands the release of all required documents without unlawful redactions, explanations for any remaining ones, and the appointment of an independent special master to oversee compliance.
