The lead Democrats on the House Judiciary and Oversight committees said they are "exploring all legal options" after a top Justice Department official signaled the agency won't produce all its documents on Jeffrey Epstein by the statutory Friday deadline.
Why it matters: The so-called "Epstein files" have become a political lightning rod for the Trump administration, which has faced criticism from lawmakers in both parties on the issue.
- Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a Fox News interview that "several hundred thousand" documents will be released Friday as the DOJ works to redact information that could jeopardize victims' privacy.
- "We have been working tirelessly," Blanche said. "I expect that we're going to release more documents over the next couple weeks … several hundred thousand more."
Driving the news: Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the ranking members of Judiciary and Oversight, said in a joint statement that the administration is "now violating federal law" by failing to meet the deadline.
- The deadline was set by a measure Congress passed last month to force the DOJ to release all of its files on Epstein.
- "The Department of Justice is now making clear it intends to defy Congress itself," the two Democrats said. "We are now examining all legal options in the face of this violation of federal law."
What they're saying: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement Friday that "there will be serious legal and political consequences," if DOJ fails to comply.
- "This is a law, not a subpoena," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who led the effort to force release of the files, said in a video Thursday.
