Auctoritas

Two top House Democrats said they were “examining all legal options” after the No. 2 Justice Department official said the department would release only a portion of the Jeffrey Epstein files Friday under a new law requiring their public disclosure. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said Friday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would release “several hundred...

<p>The lead Democrats on the House Judiciary and Oversight committees said they are "exploring all legal options" after a top Justice Department official signaled the agency won't produce all its documents on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/19/epstein-files-trump-release-justice-department" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein</a> by the statutory Friday deadline.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The so-called "Epstein files" have become a political lightning rod for the Trump administration, which has faced criticism from lawmakers in both parties on the issue.</p><hr /><ul><li>Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a <a href="https://x.com/atrupar/status/2002002424739864985?s=46" target="_blank">Fox News interview</a> that "several hundred thousand" documents will be released Friday as the DOJ works to redact information that could jeopardize victims' privacy.</li><li>"We have been working tirelessly," Blanche said. "I expect that we're going to release more documents over the next couple weeks … several hundred thousand more."</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking members of Judiciary and Oversight, said in a joint statement that the administration is "now violating federal law" by failing to meet the deadline.</p><ul><li>The deadline was set by a measure Congress passed last month to force the DOJ to release all of its files on Epstein.</li><li>"The Department of Justice is now making clear it intends to defy Congress itself," the two Democrats said. "We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying</strong>: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement Friday that "there will be serious legal and political consequences," if DOJ fails to comply. </p><ul><li>"This is a law, not a subpoena," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who led the effort to force release of the files, said in <a href="https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2001732069496402418?s=20" target="_blank">a video</a> Thursday. </li></ul>

<p>House Oversight Democrats released a new batch of photos of convicted sex offender <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/democrats-photos-jeffrey-epstein-trump-clinton" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein and his former associates</a> on Thursday, with photos referencing "Lolita," a novel about the sexual exploitation of a young girl.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The new photo drop comes just a day before the public is expected to get the Justice Department's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/10/epstein-files-release-grand-jury-trump" target="_blank">full archive</a> of Epstein documents, which could reignite questions about President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump's</a> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/13/trump-epstein-files-fiasco" target="_blank">former connections</a> to the disgraced financier.</p><hr /><p><strong>What's inside: </strong>Some<strong> </strong>of the <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/cl62lochkdzdalbzzqgq8/ADJIDEfLD1oQZrKmNeae2So?rlkey=y7529bx9tl7db6zf279jp3cyu&amp;e=2&amp;st=mxn6k82e&amp;dl=0" target="_blank">photos</a> show phrases from the Vladimir Nabokov novel handwritten on a woman's body.</p><ul><li>"Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip," reads one below a woman's collarbone and above her chest. "She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock," a message on a foot says. "She was Lola in slacks," reads another. "She was Dolly at school," a message on her neck reads. </li><li>Nothing in the pictures indicate where the photos were taken or who is in them.</li><li>The Democrats released dozens of photos, which include heavily redacted passports from Ukraine, Czech Republic and Russia, plus a prescription for the urinary tract infection medication Phenazopyridine.</li><li>Bill Gates is also in some of the photos, as is Google co-founder Sergey Brin and academic Noam Chomsky.</li></ul><p><strong>Worth noting: </strong>None of the pictures suggest that any of the people in the photos have committed any crimes or show explicit abuse of the women pictured. </p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people," Ranking Member Robert Garcia said in an emailed statement.</p><ul><li>"As we approach the deadline for the Epstein Files Transparency Act, these new images raise more questions about what exactly the Department of Justice has in its possession."</li><li>House Oversight Republicans did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment. </li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>The photos came from a drop of 95,000 photos released by the Jeffrey Epstein estate last week.</p><ul><li>The previous <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/democrats-photos-jeffrey-epstein-trump-clinton" target="_blank">images</a> included new pictures of Epstein with Trump, former <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/trump-justice-department-epstein-bill-clinton-jpmorgan-chase" target="_self">President Clinton</a>, and conservative podcaster and MAGA ally Steve Bannon.</li><li>They also included a photo of red condom packets with Trump's name and likeness on them with the phrase, "I'm HUUUUGE!"</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/democrats-photos-jeffrey-epstein-trump-clinton" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein pictured with Trump, Clinton in new photos released by Dems</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.</em></p>

<p>Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released never-before-seen photos of convicted sex offender <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/18/house-votes-to-release-jeffrey-epstein-files" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein</a>'s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little Saint James.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The photos come from a tranche of Epstein files turned over by the U.S. Virgin Islands' Department of Justice, more of which will be released in the coming days, according to Democratic aides.</p><hr /><ul><li>This batch adds to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/12/new-epstein-files-emails-released-doj-trump" target="_blank">documents the panel has already received</a> from the Justice Department and Epstein's estate.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"These new images are a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island," Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said in a statement.</p><ul><li>"We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein's horrific crimes," Garcia added.</li><li>"We won't stop fighting until we deliver justice for the survivors."</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>"It is odd that Democrats are once again releasing selective information, as they have done before. The last time Democrats cherry-picked and doctored documents, their attempt to construct yet another hoax against President Trump completely collapsed," a Republican spokesperson for the Oversight panel told Axios.</p><ul><li>"The House Oversight Committee has received approximately 5,000 documents in response to Chairman Comer's subpoenas to J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank, as well as his request to the U.S. Virgin Islands," the spokesperson added.</li><li>"The Majority is reviewing these materials and will make them public soon, just as the Committee has already done with the more than 65,000 pages produced during this investigation," they said. </li></ul><img src="https://images.axios.com/xxj50pvAyrfZ3xzGAhqJzlLJ1Fg=/2025/12/03/1764782105855.png" /> <div>A "no trespassing" sign on the beach of Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/3qhOB8-CZCQP4CJjYp6G_sYY9OE=/2025/12/03/1764782300943.png" /> <div>A room with what resembles a dental chair on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/-yhQ6S8bNoTAEqlUWBxbESQic5Y=/2025/12/03/1764782418598.png" /> <div>A room with a chalkboard, chairs and a desk on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/A4Qg6I2Ro7FDw0G_ElozFz8fONc=/2025/12/03/1764782736183.png" /> <div>A bedroom on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/7qkWzl0lCMzO5EMJbgmKbhHrPF8=/2025/12/03/1764782771145.png" /> <div>A bathroom on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/e7abWR1BzGKxOLcDIiekUiW_eJk=/2025/12/03/1764782808553.png" /> <div>A phone on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div><img src="https://images.axios.com/O1xzejgZa_e7oqWJnHzgTDll8YU=/2025/12/03/1764782858435.png" /> <div>A bedroom on Little Saint James. Photo: House Oversight Committee Democrats</div>