‘Trump admin hellbent on hiding truth’: Lawmakers slam DOJ plan of not releasing all Epstein files

US lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, slammed the Department of Justice over the planned release of some of the Epstein files, but not all of them, in accordance with the law after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Fox News Friday morning that he expected the department to release “several hundred thousand documents today and several hundred thousand additional files in the coming weeks”.

“The law Congress passed and President Trump signed was clear as can be—the Trump administration had 30 days to release ALL the Epstein files, not just some,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.

“Failing to do so is breaking the law. This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,” he added.

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‘Will not stop until the whole truth comes out’

Schumer said Senate Democrats are working with the attorneys representing Epstein victims as well as outside legal experts “to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi.”

“We will not stop until the whole truth comes out,” he said. “People want the truth and continue to demand the immediate release of all the Epstein files. This is nothing more than a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past.”

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Besides Chuck Schumer, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., also slammed the Department of Justice.

Khanna, who helped push the law necessitating the release of the Epstein files through Congress with Massie, reposted his warning on X that anyone “who tries to conceal or scrub the files will be subject to prosecution under the law.”

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GOP Rep. Thomas Massie, who led the discharge petition to force a vote on releasing the files, wants the full tranche of files to be released.

The congressman posted an image of the act requiring the Epstein files’ release, with one line and one separate word highlighted:

“Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this act,” Massie highlighted, referring to Dec. 19, and then the word “all” before a description of the documents.

‘DOJ must provide a ‘clear timeline’ for full release of files’: Khanna

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, the lead sponsor of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, said in a statement to CBS News that “the fact they are even releasing hundreds of thousands of these is a historic moment for survivors across our nation,” even if the full set of files isn’t out today.

Khanna said the Justice Department “had months to prepare for this” and “must today offer a clear timeline for the full release.”

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In the statement, Khanna said, “My bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act has finally forced Trump to comply with Congress after a year of his wilful disregard for our laws. The law requires ‘all unclassified records’ to be released in a ‘searchable and downloadable format’ by today.”

“The north star remains justice for survivors and holding the rich and powerful men who raped young girls or covered up the abuse accountable,” the statement read.