‘Making Substantial Progress’: DOJ Confirms Progress In Reviewing Additional Epstein Files

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has let it known to federal judges that it is ‘substantial progress’ in its review of the additional files that pertain to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, even though officials did not provide a timeline for the release of more material. In a letter they submitted, the DOJ heads said that more than 500 federal prosecutors and staff from the Southern District of New York and the department’s criminal division are engaged in the review and redaction of millions of pages related to the investigations of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The review has revealed a lot of duplication in the files, which has caused the precise number of remaining documents to be ‘in flux’ as the efforts continue.

What Did US Department of Justice (DOJ) Say?

The document, which had Jay Clayton’s signature on it, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, pointed out the logistical and technical problems that were created by the enormous amount of papers according to a report by abc News. The authorities pointed out that the operations of the platform need 24/7 attention and technical support to manage the inevitable system errors and delays caused by the size of the materials. One of the main concerns of the review process is to ensure the privacy of the victims, prosecutors from the DOJ are collaborating with the victims and their lawyers to eliminate the personally identifying information, even in those cases where such information had previously been public. The department made it clear again that it would not deny anyone the right to keep their information confidential who claims it before documents are released to the public.

Epstein Files Latest Update

The current audit is a result of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was approved by the legislature in November 2025 and set a date of December 19 for the release of all documents related to Epstein. A large part of the material comprising pictures and records from the courts has been already made public, however, many of the documents that have been assessed so far have not shown any signs of misconduct on the part of the elite even though it was widely expected. The critics, including some lawmakers, have been pressing the DOJ for more rapid disclosure and more openness as millions of files are still being scrutinized and the department is still working through the delay without giving a specific date for when the release will take place.

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