Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee have formally asked the Justice Department for access to the complete government records in the Jeffrey Epstein matter after the department released roughly half of a collection totaling more than 6 million documents.
Committee Democrats say recent batches have produced new, potentially significant material — including email and other communications that appear to involve powerful people who had previously sought distance from Epstein. Reported names and contacts in the files include Elon Musk, who has denied visiting Epstein’s private island; entrepreneur Richard Branson, who has apologized for any association; Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who is reported to have visited the island; and other prominent figures whose presence in the records is not evidence of criminal conduct.
The released documents also contain a 2007 memo from a federal prosecutor in Miami recommending 60 counts against Epstein and warning that he was an extreme flight risk and a continued danger because of his enticement of underage victims. That recommendation ultimately did not lead to such an indictment; instead, the case was resolved by the widely criticized 2008 nonprosecution agreement under which Epstein served a relatively short jail term while prosecutors declined to pursue state or federal charges at the time. The memo was circulated to U.S. Attorney’s Office leadership, including then‑officials who later became politically prominent.
Survivors and advocates are alarmed by what they describe as inadequate redaction of sensitive material in the Justice Department’s public release. They say names and personal information of many women have appeared online; reports indicate up to a hundred survivors may have been identifiable in the material. Some survivors say they have received threats. In response, lawyers for several victims filed an emergency petition in New York state court seeking immediate takedown of the Justice Department’s online files, comprehensive name searches, appointment of a special master to review redactions, and potential contempt or monetary remedies; a hearing on those applications was scheduled for Tuesday.
Committee Democrats say they need full access to the underlying case files to conduct oversight of prosecutorial decisions and to understand the structure of Epstein’s operation. The Justice Department has resisted turning over the complete set publicly, citing law enforcement and privacy concerns as it managed redactions and searchable publication.
CBS News legal reporter Katrina Kaufman has been covering the releases and the survivors’ legal actions. Lawmakers and advocates say the new disclosures are prompting renewed scrutiny of past prosecutorial choices and renewed calls for accountability and proper protection of victims’ identities.