Judge in Manhattan denies request from House lawmakers for an independent monitor to oversee the release of Epstein documents

Federal Judge Dismisses Request for Monitor Over Epstein Case Documents

A federal judge in Manhattan declined a proposal from two House members to appoint a neutral monitor for managing the release of the Justice Department’s investigative documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker. They emphasized that their request was both “important” and “timely.”

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer determined that Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) did not have the legal grounds to make that request, particularly after the Justice Department admitted in December that only 1% of the documents regarding the Epstein case had been disclosed.

“This court lacks the authority to grant the representatives’ requests for relief,” Judge Engelmayer stated. However, he acknowledged that the questions raised by the representatives and victims are undoubtedly significant and relevant at this moment.

Engelmayer added that there are legitimate concerns regarding whether the Department of Justice is adhering to federal law properly.

Massie and Khanna, the sponsors of the Epstein File Transparency Act (EFTA), had sought to have a “special master” assigned, someone who could regularly update the courts on how swiftly documents are being released and have the power to require testimony from Justice Department officials involved in the process.

The Justice Department has released over 12,000 documents, encompassing around 125,000 pages of investigative materials. Despite this, federal prosecutors acknowledged in court that “millions” of pages remain unexamined.

In his ruling, Engelmayer suggested that Massie and Khanna could pursue a separate lawsuit to appoint a neutral overseer for the Epstein files instead of joining the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s partner and former girlfriend.

He concluded by noting that members of Congress may also exercise their oversight of the Department of Justice through available congressional avenues.