Two Arizona Democrats are accusing the Justice Department of mishandling the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files, saying survivors have been re-traumatized by the government's own disclosures.
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) visited the Epstein Memorial Reading Room, a space housing printed and bound copies of documents pulled from the DOJ's website following a court-ordered release.
Gallego suggested the Trump administration had fallen short of full compliance with the law, releasing only a portion of what was required.
Inside the room, Gallego met with volunteers who had downloaded and physically printed the released files, compiling them into roughly 800-page volumes. He noted that heavy redactions throughout made the documents difficult to parse, and pointed out that the victims at the center of the case are not historical figures but people who are still alive and still affected.
More on the Epstein Memorial Reading Room
Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ), who also visited the reading room and met directly with survivors, delivered a sharper critique of the DOJ's conduct.
She described meeting a survivor named Danielle Bensky, a teacher whose identifying information was released in the documents despite her never having disclosed it before. Ansari said Bensky described the experience as deeply traumatizing.
Ansari also referenced a woman named Rosa, who had previously only participated in proceedings as a Jane Doe after being trafficked from abroad as part of what she described as Epstein's international network.
According to Ansari, Rosa's name and personal details appeared unredacted more than 500 times across the released files.
"How the hell does that happen on accident?" Ansari said, dismissing DOJ explanations that attorneys had been working under tight deadlines to meet the release deadline.
Ansari called out Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche by name, saying he should be held accountable for how the rollout was handled. Additionally, she relayed that at least one survivor told her the government's mishandling of the documents had caused more damage than the abuse itself.
"It's criminal," Ansari said. "People need to be investigated from the top down."
