The deputy US attorney general, Todd Blanche, has announced that the prosecutors' review of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking case "is over", following the release of millions of pages of documents by the Department of Justice. Blanche made these remarks during interviews with ABC News and CNN over the weekend, addressing the fallout from the extensive file disclosure.
Blanche Defends Justice Department's Position
In his comments, Blanche acknowledged the deep trauma experienced by victims of the scheme, which involved the late convicted sex offender Epstein and led to Maxwell's 20-year prison sentence beginning in 2022. "Victims want to be made whole," he stated, adding, "And we want that. But that doesn't mean we can just create evidence or that we can just kind of come up with a case that isn't there." He emphasised that while there are disturbing photographs and materials, they do not necessarily provide grounds for further prosecutions.
Criticism from Democratic Lawmakers
Blanche's declaration has sparked significant backlash from federal Democratic lawmakers, who argue that the document releases have been incomplete. US House member Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and co-author of the transparency law governing such disclosures, disputed the justice department's claims. "They've released at best half the documents," Khanna told CNN. "But even those shock the conscience of this country." He highlighted that the files include references to prominent figures like Elon Musk and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, though none have been accused of wrongdoing.
Khanna described the situation as "one of the largest scandals in my view in our country's history," calling for "elite accountability." He noted that survivors remain upset, particularly over accidental redaction errors that exposed some names, and are demanding the release of all remaining files.
Allegations of a Cover-Up
Blanche responded to accusations of a cover-up, expressing amazement that such claims arose less than a day after the millions of files were made public. "We have nothing to hide," he asserted. "We never did." He addressed concerns about redaction errors, stating that any issues are "immediately rectified," and noted that such mistakes affected only a tiny fraction, approximately 0.001%, of the materials.
Broader Political Reactions
Other Democratic leaders have echoed Khanna's criticisms. Maryland House Democrat Jamie Raskin remarked that "case closed has been [the Trump administration's] mantra" and dismissed the 3 million documents released as "close to nothing." Top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, during an appearance on ABC's This Week, insisted that the matter is far from over. "It's not over and it will not be over until there is full and complete transparency as demanded by the survivors, so that there can be full and complete accountability," Jeffries said.
Jeffries further criticised what he referred to as "the department of injustice," alleging that more documents are being withheld. "So the question that has to be asked – that the American people are asking – is what are they hiding from the American people and who are they protecting?" he remarked.
Background on the Epstein Case
Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of Donald Trump, pleaded guilty in 2008 to state charges of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor in Florida. He died by suicide in federal custody in New York in 2019, during Trump's first presidency, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The justice department has previously explained that many of the Epstein files are duplicates from separate investigations in Florida and New York, contributing to the large volume of pages.
The ongoing controversy underscores the tension between governmental transparency efforts and the pursuit of justice for survivors, with calls for accountability continuing to resonate across political lines.
