A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice to release a number of Jeffrey Epstein-related documents still being withheld, including materials that allegedly involve Donald Trump in sexual assault claims from the 1980s.
The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by independent journalist and former MSNBC analyst Katie Phang against Acting U.S. Attorney Todd Blanche. Phang contends the DOJ violated the Epstein Files Transparency Act by retaining millions of files and improperly redacting numerous documents it released.
Among the records Blanche must disclose is an FBI interview with an individual who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s. In her lawsuit, Phang stated that the FBI interviewed this alleged victim four times and compiled 15 documents about her, only seven of which were published under the Epstein Act.
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan, a Clinton appointee, noted that the Attorney General admitted to violating the law. This admission stemmed from comments Blanche made during an interview on December 19, 2025, when he claimed the DOJ had released several hundred thousand files and intended further releases within weeks—a deadline the government missed.
The judge found Blanche violated the law by failing to release all required documents by that date. Blanche previously argued the volume of work necessary to process such records exceeded a 30-day timeframe. The DOJ published approximately 3.5 million files between December 19 and January 30, but still retains over 2 million.
Phang, who hosts her own online show, sued Blanche in April for noncompliance with the Epstein Act. Her complaint details how the DOJ failed to meet legal requirements by ignoring deadlines, failing to redact sensitive information appropriately, withholding materials related to Donald Trump and others, and not explaining its redactions.
In May, Phang requested specific disclosures from the court, including explanations for why the government redacted sender and recipient names in eight files referencing torture videos or sexual encounters with minors, access to FBI interview reports involving alleged victims—including notes from interviews where a 13-year-old girl claimed Epstein introduced her to Trump who later assaulted her—and clarification on redactions of potential conspirators’ names.
Blanche opposed Phang’s requests in June, arguing the Epstein Act does not permit private lawsuits and that she should have used the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The judge rejected this, stating FOIA would be ineffective for many requests due to exemptions—particularly details protected under FOIA Exemption 6 involving privacy.
The court also dismissed Blanche’s claim that Phang’s demands are not in the public interest. Judge Sullivan emphasized it is in the public interest for governmental agencies to comply with federal laws, noting the DOJ must release all investigations and prosecutions related to Epstein, flight logs, individuals connected to his criminal activities, organizations linked to trafficking networks, internal communications regarding legal actions against him, and documentation explaining destroyed communications.
The judge reiterated that lawful reasons for withholding documents include identifying victims, disclosing child abuse or assault, jeopardizing federal investigations, or interfering with national security. Documents that cannot be declassified must be released as unclassified summaries.
Blanche has until Thursday of next week to comply with the court’s order and release all requested files.
