United News of Bangladesh

The US Department of Justice has come under criticism from lawmakers after Attorney General Pam Bondi said all files required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act had been released. In a letter sent to members of Congress on Saturday, Bondi and her deputy Todd Blanche said the department had disclosed all records in its possession related to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, along with a list of names appearing in the documents. However, Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a co-author of the law, argued that the release was incomplete. He urged the justice department to make public internal memos, notes and emails explaining past decisions on whether to investigate or prosecute Epstein and his associates. Millions of files linked to Epstein were released earlier this month. In their letter, Bondi and Blanche said no documents were withheld due to embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity, and that the disclosure met all legal requirements. They noted that the names listed appeared in a wide range of contexts, from extensive direct communications with Epstein or his associate Ghislaine Maxwell to mere references in documents or media reports. Officials stressed that inclusion in the files does not imply wrongdoing. The list includes prominent figures such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Britain’s Prince Andrew, all of whom have previously acknowledged past contact with Epstein and have denied any involvement in his crimes. The names of long-deceased musicians Janis Joplin and Elvis Presley also appear, drawing further criticism. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who also co-wrote the law, accused the justice department of blurring the distinction between alleged perpetrators and individuals mentioned incidentally. He called the inclusion of unrelated or historically implausible names “absurd” and demanded the full release of files, with only victims’ identities redacted. In media interviews, Massie said the justice department was wrongly invoking deliberative process privilege to avoid releasing key internal documents, contrary to the intent of the law. The Department of Justice has yet to publicly respond to the latest criticism. Lawmakers and victims’ lawyers have previously accused the department of improper redactions and errors in earlier file releases, some of which were later withdrawn after complaints. The handling of the Epstein files continues to fuel bipartisan pressure on the justice department over transparency and accountability.   With inputs from BBC