The US Department of Justice announced it needs more time to release all of the case files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after it found over a million more documents potentially linked to the late sex offender, further delaying a deadline it had already missed.
“We will release the documents as soon as possible,” the department said. “Due to the mass volume of material, this process may take a few more weeks." The Department of Justice did not specify when more records will arrive.
The announcement came just hours after several US senators, including 11 Democrats and a Republican, called on the Justice Department's watchdog to investigate the failure to meet the congressionally mandated deadline set for last Friday, emphasising that victims "deserve full disclosure" and the "peace of mind" that comes with an independent audit.
The additional delay further deepened existing concerns, as it came amid growing scrutiny over the US Justice Department's staggered release, the heavy redacted nature of the files, and several documents that went missing without explanation.
The US Department of Justice has released tens of thousands of pages of records from its investigations into Epstein since last Friday under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which required all unclassified records to be made public.
The files include photographs, court records, FBI and Justice Department documents, emails, news clippings and videos related to Epstein's criminal activities and his 2019 death by suicide in federal custody whilst awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Among the documents released were images of prominent figures, including former US President Bill Clinton, actor Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, director Woody Allen, left-wing political scientist Noam Chomsky and others.
None of the released images depicts sexual activity, and inclusion in the files does not indicate knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes.
US President Donald Trump, who was Epstein's friend for years before the two fell out, has argued that there is nothing to see in the files and that the public should focus on other matters.
He has not been accused of any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, died of apparent suicide in August 2019 in a New York jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
