WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – After severe criticism of the US Department of Justice’s handling of the Epstein files, the department’s supervisory board is getting involved. The internal control body announced an investigation into the extent to which the law regarding the publication of the Epstein files had been complied with, as it said in a statement.
The aim is to assess whether the ministry complied with the law in identifying and redacting the documents and addressing concerns about their publication. The supervisory board announced a report after the audit was completed – it was not said when this would be available.
The US Department of Justice has long been under pressure over its handling of the files relating to the case of the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Critics accuse the department, which has recently been led by former Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, of withholding particularly sensitive files and protecting certain prominent personalities.
There was also criticism that the names and contact details of victims were not sufficiently obscured during the gradual publication of some files. It came after US President Donald Trump, under considerable pressure from the US Parliament, signed a law in November that ordered the release of Epstein files by the Justice Department./ngu/DP/he
