The US Justice Department under President Donald Trump is confronting the threat of legal action and scathing bipartisan criticism following its release of a limited and heavily redacted collection of documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bipartisan Outcry Over Incomplete Disclosure
The release, which occurred on Saturday 20 December 2025, appears to violate the Epstein Transparency Act, a law co-authored by Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massie. This legislation mandated the near-complete disclosure of all relevant files by the deadline of Friday, 19 December.
In a video statement, Congressman Ro Khanna declared the department's actions non-compliant. "It is an incomplete release, with too many redactions," he stated. Khanna confirmed he and Representative Massie were exploring all options, which include potential impeachment of Justice Department officials, holding them in contempt of Congress, and referring individuals for prosecution on obstruction of justice charges.
Missing Files and Unexplained Removals
Frustration mounted further as it was revealed that more than a dozen files were removed from the department's public website without explanation. An Associated Press tally confirmed at least 16 documents had disappeared.
Among the missing files was an image showing a photograph of Donald Trump alongside Epstein, Melania Trump, and Ghislaine Maxwell, found inside a drawer among other pictures. Other removed documents included images of paintings depicting nude women.
Republican Thomas Massie echoed Khanna's condemnation on social media, stating the release "grossly fails to comply with both the spirit and the letter of the law" that Trump himself signed just one month prior. Massie warned that a future Justice Department could convict current officials, as the Act's requirements do not expire like a congressional subpoena.
Broader Political Fallout and Related Developments
The controversial document dump triggered immediate political repercussions. A spokesperson for former President Bill Clinton accused the White House of using Clinton as a scapegoat, suggesting the late-Friday release was designed to shield the current administration from scrutiny.
Separately, the US economy under Trump's promised "golden age" is showing signs of strain. Official data for the first eleven months of 2025 shows job growth has stalled at an average of 55,000 per month, a 67% drop from 2024. The unemployment rate climbed to 4.6% in November, its highest level in over four years.
In other news, US forces apprehended a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela, intensifying the American blockade. Meanwhile, organisations are boycotting companies aligning with the administration's anti-DEI policies, and Los Angeles institutions are launching cultural responses to federal immigration raids.
