U.S. Justice Department defends withholding additional Epstein files

The U.S. Justice Department asked District Judge Emmet Sullivan to deny a request for more unredacted records from its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and to grant a 60‑day extension to consider an appeal. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche argued the department has already reviewed over 6 million documents and complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which permits redactions to protect victims’ identities and sensitive investigative material.

The filing, responding to a lawsuit by attorney Katie Phang, cites around 3.5 million pages already released and about 2.5 million pages still withheld. It references email exchanges about a so‑called “torture video,” sexual activity involving minors, and FBI interview notes, as well as a draft 2007 indictment that remains redacted. The Justice Department offered to provide further explanations in sealed, in‑camera proceedings rather than making the records public.