Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Justice Department’s internal watchdog to ensure that the Epstein-related records set for release this month are delivered to Congress and the public without “tampering or concealment.”
In a letter sent this week to Acting Inspector General Don Berthiaume, Senators Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., asked his office to conduct a rapid audit of the chain of custody forms associated with the materials the DOJ must release later this month.
“This audit will help confirm for Congress and the public that the Epstein files that will be released are identical to those collected by law enforcement, other than any legally required redactions,” the Senators wrote.
The authors of the letter ask the inspector general to determine whether every piece of evidence covered by the act has a complete and accurate chain-of-custody record, and to identify any gaps or irregularities, including who has handled the materials, and how many agencies and individuals have had access to them
The lawmakers ask the inspector general to provide answers by January 19.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed a law setting a deadline for December 19. The president had been reluctant to release the case files around Epstein, calling them a “hoax” and a distraction.
Federal judges have spent the weeks since the act was signed into law clearing hurdles to disclosure. Last week, a judge in Florida granted the DOJ’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts from an earlier abandoned investigation into Epstein. Judges in New York authorized the release of grand jury materials from Epstein’s 2019 federal prosecution and his confidant Ghislane Maxwell’s prosecution in 2021.
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Democrats say those rulings underscore the urgency of ensuring that what is released reflects the original evidence. Their letter raises concerns about recent claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, who, according to the lawmakers, “directed and oversaw an intensive effort beginning in March to review the massive trove of evidence in the government’s possession, which resulted in around 1,000 FBI personnel working 24-hour shifts and required personnel to identify any mentions of President Trump.” The lawmakers argue that this level of involvement heightens the need for independent verification that the files have not been altered.
