Federal Judge Limits Justice Department’s Authority on Epstein Files

A federal judge has decided that the Justice Department lacks the power to appoint outside experts to ensure compliance with a law requiring the public release of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein prosecution.

This ruling, spanning seven pages, was issued by U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer. It effectively halted attempts by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massey (R-Ky.) to join the ongoing Ghislaine Maxwell lawsuit.

The two lawmakers were seeking to act as amici curiae, or “friends of the court,” with the goal of having judges appoint a special master to supervise the public release of records under the Epstein File Transparency Act (EFTA).

Khanna and Massey argued that without oversight, the Justice Department might not release all necessary files as mandated by EFTA.

However, Engelmayer stated that he could not approve the lawmakers’ request, noting that they were not parties in Maxwell’s case, which involved her conviction for sex trafficking in December 2021. Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years for her role in facilitating the abuse of minors by the late financier.

The judge clarified, “The only parties to this case are Maxwell and the United States. The charges she faced were based on federal statutes that did not include EFTA, which didn’t exist at the time.” Essentially, he viewed this matter as closed.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Justice Department for comments.

Massey expressed his appreciation for the judge’s careful review of their request, asserting their commitment to using all available tools to hold the Justice Department accountable. Meanwhile, Khanna reiterated their determination to push for the release of all Epstein-related records.

He remarked, “We recognize Judge Engelmayer’s consideration, but we also acknowledge our concerns regarding whether the Justice Department is adhering to the law. We will continue pursuing every legal avenue to ensure these documents are made public and that justice is served for survivors.”

Interestingly, over 2 million Epstein-related files remain unreleased, as confirmed by the Justice Department.

Notably, Khanna and Massey were pivotal in the creation of EFTA, signed by former President Donald Trump, who had urged the Justice Department to unveil all related evidence by December 19. Yet, even after that deadline passed, only a small fraction of the documents have been made available, raising concerns from leaders across various political lines.

The Justice Department attributed the delays to necessary redactions aimed at protecting the identities of abuse survivors.

Khanna commented on a recent letter from U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, expressing serious concerns about the Justice Department’s conduct. “We believe the court has the authority to provide relief, especially since victims have requested it,” he stated.

He and Massey pointed out that the release of merely 12,000 documents out of an estimated 2 million constitutes a “clear violation” of the law’s requirements.

They stated plainly, “The Department of Justice cannot be trusted to uphold mandatory disclosures under the Act.” Engelmayer, while acknowledging the lawmakers’ legitimate worries, noted the limitations of his position, stating that Congress should not intervene in ongoing court issues.