Government Accountability Office To Investigate Justice Department’s Handling Of Epstein Files

The Government Accountability Office has launched an investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said Tuesday, including the decisions the made in “reviewing, redacting, and releasing the Epstein files.”

The investigation comes after a group of lawmakers sent a letter to the independent watchdog alleging the DOJ had failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump in November.

The lawmakers argued that the Justice Department violated the law by publishing email addresses and nude photos of both publicly identified and non-public victims while redacting identifying information of alleged co-conspirators and material witnesses.

At least one Epstein victim is suing the Justice Department and Google for the “wrongful disclosure and republication” of identifying information of victims in the files.

The legislators asked the GAO to investigate how the redactions were determined, including how many employees had been tasked with reviewing the files before and after the act was signed into law; any political appointees involved in the “final” approval of the DOJ’s redactions; and any political appointees who played a role in the removal of published Epstein records from DOJ’s website.

“This horrific scandal is one where powerful, wealthy men groomed, abused, and raped young women, men, and children,” the March letter from the lawmakers states. “It is critical to understand what led to DOJ’s failure to redact the victims’ information and re-victimize those individuals while violating the Epstein Files Transparency Act in its redactions of information related to their alleged abusers.”

The GAO responded to the lawmakers on March 18 agreeing to conduct the investigation, according to a letter from the agency reviewed by POLITICO, but said it would not have the staffing to begin for several months.

A spokesperson for the agency confirmed the investigation but added that there is no estimation of when the investigation will conclude at this time.

"The first thing GAO does once it has accepted work is determine the full scope of what we will cover and the methodology to be used," the spokesperson said.

Merkley called the investigation an “important step” toward accountability.

“By illegally disregarding the law, the Trump Administration is cruelly denying ‘equal justice under the law’ to all of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims,” Merkley said in a statement. “This independent investigation is an important step in holding this Administration accountable for siding with the rich and powerful to help cover up the abuse of our most vulnerable.”

The Justice Department has released roughly 3.5 million pages of documents about its investigations into Epstein, though it did so more than a month after the law’s deadline for release. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has since said all documents related to Epstein have been released.

Trump has repeatedly called the controversy around the deceased financier — including his relationship with Epstein — a Democratic “hoax” and urged Americans to “move on” from the topic.

The White House and DOJ did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The GAO’s investigation is the second announced this month. Last week, the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General announced that it will explore DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

The GAO said it would “also be in contact with the cognizant Inspector General’s office to ensure that we are not duplicating efforts.”