Representative Yassamin Ansari (R-AZ) is pushing for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fully comply with federal law requiring the release of documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The congresswoman has raised concerns that Attorney General Pam Bondi missed a legal deadline last Friday, December 19, and should be held accountable.
The issue centers on legislation that Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law on November 19th. The law gave the Attorney General 30 days to publicly release all unclassified records, documents, and investigative materials related to Epstein.
While the DOJ has made three partial releases of documents, some lawmakers argue that significant information remains withheld.
"The deadline on Friday was not meant to be an initial deadline. It was not a suggestion; that was the legal deadline," Ansari said. "The law was signed by the President himself, and I just wanna remind people that they have had the entirety of this year to prepare for this."
Continued Fight
Among the documents released so far is an email from January 2020 sent by a federal prosecutor in New York. The email states that flight logs show President Trump flew on Epstein's private plane at least eight times in the 1990s, including once with an unnamed 20-year-old woman.
The email does not accuse Trump of any wrongdoing, and both the sender's and the recipient's names were redacted.
Ansari emphasized that the push for full disclosure extends beyond any individual. "It's not about whether or not the president is implicated. It's really not about that," she said. "It's about honesty, transparency, and justice for the survivors."
According to Ansari, survivors of Epstein's crimes have expressed dissatisfaction with the DOJ's response and are looking to Congress to ensure compliance with the law.
The partial release of documents has intensified calls for complete transparency from some members of Congress, and Ansari suggested there could be bipartisan support for holding the attorney general accountable if the remaining documents are not released.
As the situation develops, lawmakers continue to debate whether the DOJ has fulfilled its legal obligations under the law signed by President Trump, or whether additional action is needed to ensure full compliance.
