Epstein DOJ files face technical glitches and heavy redaction criticism
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The Justice Department’s efforts to release all of its records related to the sex trafficking cases of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within legal deadlines fell short of expectations Friday, leading to complaints ranging from technological glitches to excessive redactions and missing documents.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the much-anticipated website containing the documents went live with a message informing visitors that they were “live.” The page never advanced and sometimes crashed. After the files became visible, some people reported that they still couldn’t access the website.
“I waited in line for these Epstein Files like they were a 2019 Yeezy,” one user wrote on X.
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The law required that the files be searchable, but Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University, was among those who observed that the search bar feature on the website also did not capture content reliably.
Some on the left pointed out that President Donald Trump’s name did not initially appear in any of the documents. Trump was one of Epstein’s many wealthy friends before Epstein was indicted. The search bar appeared to be working Friday evening.
The Justice Department released a trove of Epstein documents on Dec. 19 after President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November. (Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
However, the most common criticisms focused on what reviewers described as incomplete publication and extensive redactions. The DOJ said it was required to remove information that could identify victims or minors.
In a letter to Congress, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche called the Justice Department’s efforts to fulfill its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act “historic.”
Blanche said the documents went through a rigorous review and redaction process involving more than 200 attorneys and that some DOJ components produced installments of records this week that required additional time to review. He said he expected the rest of the files to be uploaded to the website within two weeks.
Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, speaks alongside Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia, and Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican of Kentucky, during a news conference on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol, November 18, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., pointed to the Epstein Files Transparency Act’s statutory language on X.
“Unfortunately, the document released today by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche completely fails to meet the spirit and letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago,” Massie wrote.
Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said he and Massie were “exploring all options,” including possible contempt proceedings or other actions against DOJ officials.
“This is an incomplete version with too many deletions,” Khanna said.
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Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on recent Supreme Court decisions in the White House Briefing Room June 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Tim Young, a media specialist at the conservative Heritage Foundation, criticized the redactions in an article on X and lashed out at Attorney General Pam Bondi over the DOJ’s botched deployment of already public records earlier this year.
Bondi had given binders of files to right-wing social media influencers in February, but the files were botched and angered a faction of Trump’s base.
Rep. Robert Garcia, Democrat of California, appeared on MS NOW Friday evening and accused the administration of “breaking the law.”
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Yet the DOJ remains steadfast in its exemplary work, saying in an online statement that “President Trump’s DOJ ensures historical transparency while protecting victims.”
Fox News Digital has contacted the DOJ for comment.
