The U.S. Justice Department has formally requested that a federal judge in New York deny a motion filed by two members of Congress seeking the appointment of a special master to oversee the release of government records associated with Jeffrey Epstein.
Since December, the Justice Department has been gradually issuing documents connected to its investigations of Epstein. However, U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, and Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace of these disclosures.
Last week, Khanna and Massie petitioned U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer to allow them to submit a brief advocating for the designation of an independent monitor—a special master—to ensure compliance with statutory requirements. This demand arises from the department's purported failure to fulfill the obligations of a law mandating the release of all Epstein-related records by December 19.
In response, the Justice Department, including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, submitted a six-page letter objecting to the lawmakers’ request. The letter, filed on Friday and signed by Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, argued that Representatives Khanna and Massie do not possess the legal standing to intervene in the ongoing U.S. v. Ghislaine Maxwell case, which pertains to Epstein.
The department further noted that the representatives’ objectives conflict with the traditional roles of both an amicus curiae (friend of the court) and the court itself, asserting that no existing legal authority permits the court to grant the relief they seek.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a close associate of Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her conviction for facilitating Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls.
The Justice Department has disclosed that as of the end of 2025, it still has approximately 5.2 million pages of Epstein-related records pending review. Addressing this extensive workload requires the involvement of 400 lawyers drawn from four different department offices, with efforts expected to continue through late January.