The Justice Department’s limited release of Jeffrey Epstein files has triggered a political backlash, but Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche says the administration is moving deliberately to avoid harming survivors while it completes a legally required disclosure process.
Appearing Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Blanche defended the decision to publish only a portion of the files by the congressionally imposed deadline, arguing that rushing out unvetted material could expose victims of sexual abuse to further trauma. He said the Trump administration remains committed to releasing the full set of records once appropriate safeguards are in place.
“The reason why we are still reviewing documents and still continuing our process is simply that to protect victims,” Blanche told the program. “So the same individuals that are out there complaining about the lack of documents that were produced on Friday are the same individuals who apparently don’t want us to protect victims.”
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The partial release on Friday, which included photographs, interview transcripts, call logs and court filings, immediately garnered massive criticism from Democrats, who accused the administration of withholding damaging information. The push for transparency has also come from some Republicans, reflecting broader frustration over how the government has handled disclosures tied to Epstein, the financier whose social circle once included prominent political figures and business leaders, among them President Donald Trump.
Blanche rejected claims that the administration is stonewalling, calling the criticism disingenuous. He said thousands of pages remain under review because they contain sensitive personal details, including information that could identify victims or additional individuals who have not previously been named.
Nonetheless, some of the most anticipated materials were absent from Friday’s release. Missing were FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memoranda that could shed light on investigative decisions, including why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to resolve earlier allegations with a relatively minor state-level prostitution plea.
Trump, who had a social relationship with Epstein years before a falling-out, sought for months to keep the records sealed. Although he has not been accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein, Trump has repeatedly argued that the files contain nothing of consequence and that public attention should be directed elsewhere.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges in New York but died by suicide in jail before the case could go to trial.
Democratic lawmakers used Sunday talk shows to intensify their criticism. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland said the Justice Department’s actions amount to obstruction, not victim protection.
“It’s all about covering up things that, for whatever reason, Donald Trump doesn’t want to go public, either about himself, other members of his family, friends, Jeffrey Epstein, or just the social, business, cultural network that he was involved in for at least a decade, if not longer,” Raskin said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Blanche also addressed the quiet removal of several Epstein-related files from a Justice Department webpage less than a day after they were posted, including a photograph showing Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump and Ghislaine Maxwell. Other removed images depicted paintings of nude women and photographs arranged inside drawers.
According to Blanche, the materials were taken down because they also showed Epstein’s victims. He said the files, including the Trump photograph, will be reposted after redactions are made.
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“It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche said. “There are dozens of photos of President Trump already released to the public seeing him with Mr. Epstein.”
The documents made public so far offer the most extensive window yet into nearly two decades of government scrutiny of Epstein’s abuse of young women and underage girls. But the heavy redactions and the volume of unreleased records have only fueled demands for more disclosure, particularly since some of the released material had already circulated publicly.
Blanche said the department’s ongoing review has identified additional potential victims in recent days, reinforcing, in his view, the need for caution.
He also defended the Bureau of Prisons’ decision to transfer Maxwell to a minimum-security federal facility earlier this year, shortly after Blanche interviewed her about Epstein. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges.
“She was suffering numerous and numerous threats against her life,” Blanche said. “So the BOP is not only responsible for putting people in jail and making sure they stay in jail, but also for their safety.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties are weighing possible consequences. Reps. Ro Khanna of California and Thomas Massie of Kentucky have suggested drafting articles of impeachment against Attorney General Pam Bondi, citing what they describe as a failure to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“It’s not about the timeline, it’s about the selective concealment,” Khanna reportedly said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” arguing that the redactions go too far. He said he expects “bipartisan support in holding her accountable, and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.”
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reiterated calls for answers on ABC’s “This Week,” saying there must be “a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,” though he stopped short of endorsing impeachment.
Blanche brushed aside the threat.
“Bring it on,” he said. “We are doing everything we’re supposed to be doing to comply with this statute.”
